https://www.echeat.com/ 2024-11-13T22:51:51.19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/CMI-45596.aspx I do believe that the Earth is hard like a rock, and I still think that is due to Earth’s crust being made of rocks and rock-like materials, the Earth being a inner planet, and the Earth’s layers. These three can be shown as evidence to support my claim of it being as hard as a rock in several different aspects. First is the crust, which is made from hard metals and rocks. Next is being an inner planet, which is made out 2022-01-04T13:40:26.447-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Is-Earth-hard-like-a-rock-45536.aspx Covid COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It is caused by a virus and not a bacteria. Coronaviruses are a big family of different viruses. On December 12, 2019 A cluster of patients in Wuhan, Hubei Providence, China begin to experience shortness of breath and fever. This was the start of Covid-19 Illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 was termed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, from the words "coronavirus disease 2019." This name was used to avoid stigmatizing the virus's origination location in terms of populations, geography, or any animal association. How it spreads: It is thought to spread mainly from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Spread is more likely when people are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading very easily and sustainably between people. Information from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic suggests that this virus is spreading more efficiently than influenza, but not as efficiently as measles, which is highly contagious. Researchers estimate that people who get infected with the coronavirus can spread it to others 2 to 3 days before symptoms start and are most contagious 1 to 2 days before they feel sick. Incubation period: On average, symptoms showed up in the newly infected person about 5 days after contact. Rarely, symptoms appeared as soon as 2 days after exposure. Most people with symptoms had them by day 12. And most of the other ill people were sick by day 14. In rare cases, symptoms can show up after 14 days. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, its first such designation since declaring H1N1 influenza a pandemic in 2009. What temperature kills the virus that causes COVID-19? In order to kill COVID-19, heat virus-containing objects for: 3 minutes at temperature above 75°C (160°F). 5 minutes for temperatures above 65°C (149°F). 20 minutes for temperatures above 60°C (140°F) COVID-19 vaccines are effective COVID 19-vaccines are effective and can reduce the 2021-12-10T12:04:14.06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Coronavirus-45530.aspx William Gibson is known for his fascinating science fiction stories that anticipate the development in science, technology, and society. For decades, Gibson's fiction work which is referred to as cyberpunk has continued to dominate the world of science fiction. He uses factional characters and worlds to imagine the future more convincingly than anyone else. To make his works appear more real, Gibson invents words to describe the space behind the screen, initially coming up with words such as "Infospace" and "dataspace" before inventing another word, "cyberspace." Although he did not know the meaning of the term cyberspace when he came up with it, he says that it sounded more scientific, like something someone might be mesmerized to explore even if it would lead to some danger (Gibson 169). Although most of Gibson's works were written in the mid-1980s, many remain relevant and reflect the realities of the contemporary world. By analyzing the Burning Chrome and New Rose Hotel, this study will examine how Gibson keeps his fictional science real. People are often motivated by different things to achieve their goals in life. In Burning Chrome, Gibson uses three main characters, Bobby, Rikki, and Jack to illustrate how people are motivated by different things to achieve what they want. Three are regular characters who are contented in making money but not more than the amount for which they will get caught. "Congratulations," I heard Bobby say. "We just became Eastern Seaboard Fission Authority inspection probe. . ." proclaims Jack, an indication that they have succeeded in hacking the system (Gibson 169). Their efforts have paid off and are ready to start enjoying their “hard-earned money” However, the desire to get rich quickly before getting older and slower makes them go for a bigger heist. "...I knew he used women as counters in a game, Bobby Quine versus time and the night of cities," (Gibson 171). This is an indication that the moment Bobby and his friends got the money; they started partying, living a carefree life. It also shows that besides racing against time, Bobby also finds his motivation in women. “But Bobby had this thing for girls, like they were his private tarot or something,” (Gibson 171). This portrays Bobby as someone who uses girls as a symbol and motivation to achieve what he desires. In the New Rose Hotel, Gibson demonstrates how people are determined to make ends meet 2021-03-25T14:35:40.56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Gibson-s-Stories-Reflect-the-Realities-of-the-Contemporary-World-45507.aspx “ANTI-BIAS JUDGE” The story has universality because it happens or it can happen in other courtrooms in other countries especially in nations where autocratic or tyrannical rule prevails. When people don’t have a voice or their freedom of expression is suppressed in dictatorial-type of government where rulers wield their authority without impunity, citizens of that nation certainly will not get justice as portrayed in the story. There will always be biases committed by judges in a corrupt government because as they know it, they can always evade being prosecuted themselves for committing biases in handing out verdicts. More so, even in this modern times in more advanced and democratic countries, there are still judges who seem to disregard the need to properly practice their sworn professions and carefully weigh things first before handing out their final decisions. I have not known a Filipino judge in real life who can be a counterpart of the judge in the story but I’ve seen local films depicting the same type in movies of Fernando Poe Jr. and some other Filipino action stars. It is possible that that judge can have a counterpart not only here in our country but also in other parts of the globe knowing how dirty politics and judicial systems are until now. As a saying goes, “Judgement prevents us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances,” (Dyer Quotes, American Psychologist Quotes) humans are susceptible to commit mistakes due to our tendency to base our assessment especially when we take into account the appearance of a person. Furthermore, we always judge the book by its cover. Our judges must be well-prepared physically, emotionally, intellectually, psychologically and even spiritually, and must have very long and varied experiences in handling different cases to live up to his position. He must not be swift to pass judgement because “A good judge conceives quickly, but judges slowly.” (Proverb Quotes: Judgement Quotes) They are our decision-makers, thus, he must be wise and prudent because a simple mistake can mean life or death, or a lifetime of sorrow and agony for someone innocent. There are thousands of crimes committed in the Philippines in 2018 and most of these came from the three major cities of the country (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_Philippines), ranging from simple offense conducts to more serious felonies like rape, murder etc. Just imagine being accused of a crime you know you did 2020-10-10T04:18:47.527-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/ANTI-BIAS-45497.aspx Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Module Date of Submission Types of Thinking Test The results from the test are as shown below: Fig#1 Here is how much you scored for every type: Doer: 50% Analyst: 100% Orator: 25% Inventor: 50% Original Thinker: 75% Fig 1: Types of thinking test score, source: psychologia.com The Doer or Concrete Thinking From the results, it is clear that I scored average on concrete thinking. The results imply that I am average on personality related to a doer. For instance, in most cases, I tend to think in practical and in actionable terms to support my dominant side like analytical. Furthermore, given the average score, I take on some of the characters outlined in concrete thinking sports but am not that much into other activities aimed at producing something tangible like an artist. Therefore, while doers contribute to the world by bringing thoughts and ideas together and turning them into reality, I believe scoring average on this type of thinking implies that I take on one side of this orientation. For instance, I believe I am 50% a doer and concrete thinker who comes up with thoughts and ideas, but I need the support of an individual much oriented on this side to turn my ideas into reality. Analytical and abstract thinking Analytical and abstract thinking is one part of this test that I was certain I was going to score highest. The same has been reflected in the score as I got 100% as I expected. Since childhood, I have been interested in understanding many complex and abstract concepts, and I have grown to be an analytical thinker as can be reflected in my score. For instance, I have been interested in understanding the key concepts in the science and mathematics field than other areas like poetry. I have also wanted to be the best analyst so that I can help in solving concepts that bring problems in the business world. I believe this type of thinking is what made me progress in mathematics and sciences while finding trouble in other fields like literature. As an abstract thinker, I like coming up with ideas and solutions that would prove difficult to other people. Additionally, I believe that I am always driven by curiosity in getting to the bottom of something and solving it. Also, I would not say I like assuming things related to a given problem as I have to question everything and its contribution 2020-10-09T11:38:50.6-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thinking-45495.aspx Watch Jean Kilbourne: The Dangerous Ways Ads See Women. (Jean Kilbourne, 2014), which examines the portrayal of women in advertising and the resulting effects on feminine identity, and Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity. (ChallengingMedia, 2006), which examines the portrayal of men in the media and the resulting effects on masculine identity. Locate a scholarly article examining a relevant phenomenon in relation to media and gender (e.g., when considering women in advertising, self-esteem, objectification, body shame, or perceptions of attractiveness might be particularly relevant; when considering men in the media, aggression might be particularly relevant; for both, attitudes and gender roles are relevant themes). See the recommended articles for this week for some options. -Focus on women or men for your discussion, depending on the relevant phenomenon you considered in your research above. (You will address the opposite in your replies.). Sexual violence and intimate partner violence are ways through which women bodies have been harmed through sexual objectification (Davidson, & Gervais, 2015). Bissell and Rask (2010) investigated the effect of media on women’s beliefs regarding beauty. The researchers identified media portrayal of thinness as being influential in the desire to be thin for most women. The findings corroborate those of American Psychological Association (2007), which suggested that women and girls have been objectified sexually. In contrast, Morrison and Halton (2009) pointed out that media portrays masculinity with higher levels of aggression and more positive outcomes. -Examine the implications of media portrayals of women or men, given the videos you watched and the article you read. In your discussion, include the following: Violent media have a negative effect on children’s aggressiveness (Bushman, Gollwitzer, & Cruz, 2015). Therefore, media portrayal of gender, sexuality, and masculinity has great implications for the wellbeing of human beings. -Explain how stereotypes, prejudice, and/or discrimination are impacted by media portrayals of women or men. ChallengingMedia (2006) identifies some of the stereotypes among women and men based on masculinity and femininity. Some of these stereotypes lead to prejudice and body shaming, which are negative aspects of sociology. The media are at the forefront of driving these stereotypes through inappropriate advertising and manipulated messages regarding body odor, weight, hair beauty, and others (Kilbourne, 2014). Therefore, media portrayals of men and women contribute to stereotypes and prejudices arising from masculinity, sexuality, and body beauty. Interpret the implications: -How might the portrayal of gender impact behavior and/or mental processes? For example, 2019-03-10T03:20:39.46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Media-and-gender-45482.aspx Complete the International Personality Item Pool Representation of the NEO PI-RTM. (either the short or long version). -Explain the five domains of personality. The concepts are conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extraversion. Conscientiousness entails a high level of organization, self-discipline, and responsibility. Agreeableness is the ability of being kind and friendly (LeFrancois, 2016). Neuroticism is the tendency to have fluctuating emotions such as anxiety and negative moods. Openness entails high level of inventiveness and curiosity. Finally, extraversion is the tendency to be outgoing, sociable, and lively. -Interpret your score, noting aspects of the assessment that are interesting to you. I completed the International Personality Item Pool Representation of the NEO PI-RTM. The results showed that my level of extraversion is high. It is true that subtle features such as extraversion and taste may not be innocuous (BBC, 2014). Hence, the results indicate that I am lively, outgoing, energetic, and sociable. -Illustrate each dimension of your personality with personal examples. Extraversion: I am very friendly and sociable. Agreeableness: I am very trustworthy and altruistic. Conscientiousness: I am very orderly and self-disciplined. Neuroticism: I am very calm and I rarely become angry. Openness: I accept authority and convention and I hardly try to challenge them. Watch Correlation: Against All Odds: Inside Statistics and read “The interplay between culture and personality”. -Differentiate between malleable versus rigid elements of personality. Malleable elements of personality can be changed through dedication and effort. On the other hand, rigid elements of personality remain the same regardless of effort or dedication. Annenberg Learner (2013) discusses the concept of personality traits as brought about by culture and genes. Based on the video, a significant number of personality traits in twins is rigid while a small number of the traits is malleable. Relate elements of your own personality that may be particularly impacted by social and cultural contexts that you have experienced. Culture is an important tool in the study of personality traits. Culture is an independent variable that acts and shapes an individual’s behavior (Kwan, & Herrmann, 2015). Some elements of my personality have been influenced by social and cultural contexts. These elements include altruism, trustworthiness, and friendliness. Resources: 5 Annenberg Learner. (Producer). (2013). Correlation: Against all odds: Inside statisticse. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://fod.infobase.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?token=111531&wID=100753&plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=360&fWidth=660&fHeight=410 BBC. (September 17, 2014). Science: Human body & mind. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/ International Personality Item Pool Representation of the NEO PI-RTM. Retrieved from http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/IPIP/ Kwan, V. S. Y., & Hermann, S. D. (2015). The 2019-03-10T01:18:43.813-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Complete-the-International-Personality-Item-Pool-Representation-of-the-NEO-PI-RTM_-45481.aspx Introduction Over the recent years, the use of social media has grown to become one of the most popular activities among teenagers. While there are various social media networks, Facebook stands as the most used social site by teenagers between 13-17 years old in the United States (Ba´nyai et al. 1). A recent report indicated that 71 percent of adolescents using social media have access to at least two social networking platforms and 24 percent of teenagers are continuously online owing to the pervasiveness of the usage and increased number of smartphones (Ba´nyai et al. 1). The heavy involvement of teenagers on social networking avenues has a significant influence on their behavior as it tends to be shaped by the content they are subjected to in social network platforms. While social media is attributed to improving connectivity and the sharing of information among teenagers, it has also caused significant negative effects among adolescents such as low self-esteem, shaped a negative attitude towards obese persons, social contrasting and envy, lower mindfulness, depression, cyberbullying, social isolation, and poor social skills among others. Definition and Description of Social Media Understanding the meaning of social media is particularly important in the discussion of its effects on teenagers. Different persons variously define social media. However, this paper will have a specific definition of social media for purposes of uniformity. As such, social media refers to applications, which enable individuals to hold interactions with others and establish social connections that enhance social capital (Huang 9). Commonly known avenues of social media entail Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Polyvore, and Myspace (Heinemann and Gaiser 13). The social medium enables individuals to set up a profile within the site, which may involve a personal picture, avatar, email address, screen name, symbol, or other depiction (Brunty and Helenek 1). Once created, a profile provides users with a specific and unique identification that facilitates other persons to identify and distinguish one individual from the others within the system. Moreover, the profile created enables social media users to find and connect with other members on the social network. Some of the other members within the site involve friends or acquaintances from the real world to individuals whom the user meets in the site. Upon the users’ connection with others on the site, he or she is not only able to see his or her connections made through the site but also connections, 2019-02-20T04:18:55.6-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Media-and-its-Effects-on-Teenagers-45478.aspx 2019-01-26T06:28:38.28-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Depression-Power-Point-Presentation-45468.aspx Understanding the Nature and Form of Hate Crimes in the United States after Trump Election Name Institution Abstract The proposed study purposes to investigate the nature and dynamics of hate crimes in the United States. This study will be conducted at the backdrop of the United States commitment towards diversity inclusion, which is a critical factor of social sustainable development. Understanding the dynamics and factors responsible for hate can inform the practice on how to realize the goal. The literature on the subject is documented, but it is fragmented and fails to adequately answer the question. Previous studies also exist, but can be generally seen to address aspects of the subject that cannot be directly generalized to the context of the United States. The hypothesis hypotheses are formulated and interested in inquiring whether there a significant relationship between hate crimes (dependent variable) and social media use frequency, the rates of exposure to the presidential campaign content and region demographics. The expected results will be qualitative. Keywords: hate crimes, presidential campaign politics, social media use frequency, regional demographics, the United States Introduction to Introduction Diversity inclusion is one of the social goals that the United States is committed to achieving. It is vital for two main reasons. Firstly, it is a social justice approach that strives to accommodate people, shunning discrimination and marginalization (Mellgren, Andersson & Ivert, 2017). Secondly, diversity is regarded as a source of creativity and innovativeness since it brings forth a diverse mindset that offers solutions to different challenges in life. Unfortunately, diversity in the United States has been presented to be more of a problem than a blessing — it is one of the dimensions in which hate groups exist (Herek, 2017. In this case, a hate group is defined as a group of people that instigates hostility, hatred, and violence towards other members (Pew Research Center, 2016). Hate groups thrive along different cultural dimensions such as ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality, among others (Carr, 2017). In this regard, the topic of hate crimes becomes important to study because it is one of the ways to achieve diversity inclusion. Interestingly, the issue of the nature and form of hate crimes in the United States is not clearly understood, while literature leaves various gaps. To a large extent, it is marred by debates. On the one hand, for instance, the discussion is characterized by the assertions that the United States is a 2018-12-02T03:24:30.867-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-the-Nature-and-Form-of-Hate-Crimes-in-the-United-States-after-Trump-Election-45461.aspx Resolving Ethical Dilemmas Dilemmas are the instances and situations where one has to choose between two or more options that are conflicting and have moral and ethical implications. There are many dilemmas in society. For instance, people have different definitions of what is right and wrong. These differences lead to conflicting views on various issues in society. One such issue is abortion. Abortion is a controversial subject in most societies. A section of people believes that abortion is wrong as everyone, including the unborn, have a right to life. Other people also take the stand that a mother has the right to choose whether to have a child or not. Such people claim that by dictating whether one should have an abortion or not, the law interferes with individual privacy. The paper discusses abortion as a contentious issue in the United States. The Fundamentals of the Policy Described in the Article The article describes an abortion issue involving a 17-year-old teenager (North, n.d.). The teenager was an immigrant and had applied to have the abortion since she could not sustain the pregnancy. Before then, there had been changes to the abortion laws relating to immigrant minors. Such laws required the minors to seek permission. The minor had sought permission and was waiting for the determination of the case. However, the government was determined to prevent her from having the abortion. A District judge ordered the government to allow the minor to have her abortion (North, n.d.). In return, the government appealed and got an order allowing them to delay the abortion even longer. Judge Kavanaugh who has since become a president appointee gave the delay order (Gerstein, n.d.). There were numerous concerns about his appointment to the Supreme Court. Many were worried about the fate of abortion cases. In his ruling, he had indicated that the Director of the refugees had the right to block an immigrant minor from obtaining an abortion. The dilemma, therefore, involves the right of minors to obtain an abortion. Certain groups and individuals maintain that before a pregnancy reaches a certain age, a mother has all the rights to terminate it should she wish to do so. Such a choice would thus be a personal choice. However, there are people with a contrary opinion. These claim that the government has the right to delay or even block some people from obtaining an abortion. According to Reamer, there 2018-11-19T03:14:28.55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Resolving-Ethical-Dilemmas-45460.aspx Abstract The loss of vision has significant impacts on the lives of the individuals, families, acquaintances, and the society at large. This paper focuses on a population segment consisting of adults who have been confirmed legally blind for less than one year with the condition and enrolled at the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP). It aims to reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social isolation for adults recently diagnosed with legal blindness in the past one year. Adults who lost their eyesight less than a year ago are highly likely to be depressed due to the effects of visual impairment on their careers, social support systems, and mobility. With the increasing number of the visual impaired population in the U.S., there is a need for a theoretical and institutional response to reduce the negative effects caused by depression. More focus is needed for young adults who are in a transitional stage where the majority are concentrating on join post-high school institution, getting the first dream job, and starting serious relationship as well as the elderly who have lost the social ties duet to age and visual impairment. Coping Mechanisms for the Visually Impaired The loss of vision has significant impacts on the lives of the individuals, families, acquaintances, and the society at large. According to Welp, Woodbury, McCoy, Teutsch & National Academies (2016), adults who completely lose their eyesight get frightened and overwhelmed. They are left to wonder about their ability to remain independent, cater for the needed medical costs, keep their places at work, and fend for themselves as well as their families. The health consequences coming with the untimely loss of eyesight is beyond eye and visual system. It affects the quality of life, leading to other effects such as injuries due to falls, mental problems, and general deterioration in social and economic aspects. In the United States, there are organizations which help the blind to cope. This paper focuses on a population segment consisting of adults who have been confirmed legally blind for less than one year with the condition and enrolled at the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP). The group recognizes that adults undergo depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Therefore, this group takes the initiative to design mechanisms to assist the newly blind adults to cope in the society. Statement of Purpose According to the latest statistics by the World Health Organization 2018-11-04T03:20:15.333-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Coping-Mechanisms-for-the-Blind-45455.aspx 2018-10-10T19:48:33.087-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/De-Colores-y-Regalos-45452.aspx Southwest Airlines Name Southern New Hampshire University Table of Contents FINAL PROJECT MILESTONE ONE - Module Three 3 Financial Performance and Health 3 A. Organizational Context 3 B. Recent Financial Performance 3 C. Current Financial Health 4 FINAL PROJECT MILESTONE TWO - Module Five 6 Success Factors and Risks 6 FINAL PROJECT MILESTONE THREE - Module Seven 7 Projections 7 FINAL PROJECT SUBMISSION - Module Nine 8 Business Opportunities 8 Executive Summary 9 References 11 Appendix A 12 FINAL PROJECT MILESTONE ONE - Module Three Financial Performance and Health A. Organizational Context Southwest Airlines is involved in providing scheduled air transportation services in the United States as well as near-international markets. The provision of scheduled air transportation services helps in setting the boundaries for business decisions since the company is usually restricted in operating in the programmed locations. The company is organized and managed by function. There are different individuals in the management of the organization based on the functions that they carry out. The management of the organization has adopted a flexible approach in its operations and associations with both workers and customers. The organization of the company by function is critical in influencing accounting and financial information as well as subsequent business decisions since every task is usually associated with the individuals appointed in the positions. B. Recent Financial Performance The consolidated income statements for the company for the past three years indicate that the company has been successful. This is because the net income for the company has been increasing for the past three years. In 2015, the company made a net income of $2,181 million while in 2016 the net income increased to $2,244 million. In the year 2017, the company’s net income was $3,488 million, which also indicated an increase from the 2016 value. This being the case, the company can be indicated to be performing strongly for the past three years (check figure (a) in the appendix for a graph showing how the company has progressed in terms of net income for the past three years. From the consolidated cash flow statements of the company, it is evident that net cash provided by operating activities was high in 2016 and decreased in 2017. The net cash provided by operating activities in 2015 was $3238 million while in 2016 it was $4293 million. This value indicated an increase from the 2015 amount. Alternatively, in 2017, the net cash provided by operating activities decreased to $3929 million. However, in the case of net cash flow from financing activities, the values showed a constant increase for the past three years. In 2015, the 2018-09-27T03:54:18.817-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Financial-Performance-and-Health-of-an-Organization-Report-45449.aspx Mr. Fife Name Institution Mr. Fife Anxiety disorders affect people’s quality of life and the ability to engage in activities of daily living. This paper provides the analysis of the case study of Mr. Fife, who is suffering from a psychological disorder. The paper will focus on diagnosis, identification of symptoms, other possible diagnosis, help, and prognosis. Diagnosis and Symptoms From the case study, it is evident that Fife suffered from social anxiety disorder. This diagnosis is based on several symptoms. The first symptom is nervousness, where Fife held that he was going through motions and wanted to lead a normal life. People with social anxiety disorder are nervous and aloof. In addition, Fife had no close friends, which is an indication of the fact that he was detached. People with this kind of disorder often have few friends (Long, 2017). Moreover, Fife was super-conscious, especially when speaking to strangers, which is among the key indicators of the social anxiety disorder. Additionally, Fife suffered from panic attacks. This kind of attack is triggered by one’s fear of receiving negative evaluation (Long, 2017). This is confirmed by the fact that the attack affected Fife when he was with people. Fife also felt increasingly uncomfortable in the social situations and feared that he would do something stupid. This is a common symptom among the people suffering from this kind of disorder and it occurs in the form of a phobia due to their fear of being humiliated or rejected in the social situations. This phobia makes the affected people avoid social settings. For example, Fife avoided public rooms, group settings, and did not date. The symptoms seen in Fife relate to the American Psychiatric Association Criteria (APA). People are diagnosed with social anxiety disorder when they meet all the criteria listed by the APA (Long, 2017). Examples of these criteria include the marked fear of at least one social situation, negative evaluation, and anxiety that is provoked by social situations. The fear that these people have regarding the social situation is endured with intense anxiety, while the anxiety is out of proportion compared to the threat that is caused by the social situation. The anxiety or fear must last for over six months (Long, 2017). In the case of Fife, he dropped out of school two years ago, which is more than the required six months. In addition, the fear affects the occupational life of the 2018-06-23T02:37:48.513-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mr_-Fife-45444.aspx Assertiveness Activity Author Institution Sometimes, individuals usually experience situations, which make it difficult to say no. At times, saying no to a friend or someone close may bring some guilt, but it is always to look for a 2018-05-21T03:58:15.943-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Assertiveness-Activity-45440.aspx Forgiveness Name Institution affiliation Part A. Forgiveness is a skill that is effective in healing relationships and keeping it going strong (Toussaint, Worthington & Williams, 2015). Despite being a vital skill, my performance of the forgiveness skill varies when I am with different individuals depending on the close connection between the people. Firstly, I have good performance with the skill when I am with close friends and family members. This is because they have a close relationship that is built on love and empathy. Therefore, caring become the default way of relating such that when a friend or a family member wrongs me, I tend to forgive and let go quickly despite the hurt. As a result, it is much easier to resolve conflicts by believing in the good intentions of the friend or partner. Also, it is due to the fact that we always believe that no one is perfect. On the other hand, my performance of the skill is bad when I am with strangers or people who are not closely related to me. When a person is hurt by a stranger, they intend to briefly step outside their pain (Toussaint, Worthington & Williams, 2015). It is easy to get lost in hurt, blind to anything beyond it due to the inability to understand the perspective of the strangers. Therefore, it becomes hard to forgive and let go due to lack of close relationship to salvage. At first instance, people think that there is no future to consider with strangers. However, forgiveness is not only useful for repairing friendship but also for one's well-being. I forgive quickly when am with close friends and family members and take a lot of time to forgive those who are not closely related to me. In summation, people perform differently with the forgiveness skill when with friends and strangers. However, it should be made a routine so as to ensure reduced stress and increased overall psychological well-being. Part B. Part C. The capacity for a person to accomplish forgiveness and let go all the past damages is a standout amongst the most basic difficulties numerous people face with regards to achieving personal happiness and peace (Toussaint, Worthington & Williams, 2015). Just like inside the class the ability to achieve forgiveness is very crucial outside class as it is absolutely necessary for long-term emotional and mental health. I have had the opportunity to have an experience with the skill 2018-05-21T03:44:53.337-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Forgiveness-45439.aspx Artificial Intelligence Student Institution Affiliation Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (A.I) refers to the development 2018-05-15T04:22:21.997-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/?rtificial-intelligence-45431.aspx MAKING AFRICA GREAT AGAIN/AFRICA IN FOCUS Diversification does not occur in the vacuum. There needs to be an enabling environment to make diversification possible. Economic diversification holds great potential to increase Africa’s resilience and would contribute to achieving and sustaining long term economic growth and development in the continent. A number of factors have been identified at making Africa a better continent for living. For Africa to diversify and grow into one of the most prestigious continents in the world, it needs to reduce aid dependence from the foreign countries/continents. Last year, Africa’s debt stood at 50%, which is way too much for countries to pay back their debts and so this will prevent rapid Africa’s economic growth. To prevent African countries from going into debts, it needs to stick to the resources it has. It needs to practice some strategies such as import substitution strategy, export orientation strategy and also invite investors to invest in African countries. These strategies will diversify the countries economy and this will raise Africa’s GNP and GDP. Just think as to why Europe or North America are the most successful continents in the world....It is because of good governance. Good governance involves designing and implementing policies to nurture fledgling sectors and ensuring that they can develop in an environment that allows them to flourish and contribute more to the national economy. There needs to be efficient co-ordination among different decision-makers and stakeholders in the regional and global economic environment. Different governments of different states, should encourage good relationships between countries. With a good relationship between African countries will help to promote trade between African countries. This will lead to globalization and expanding of businesses which can compete internationally. This will reduce unemployment in Africa and it will raise the standard of living in Africa. Among the various factors that have the potential to drive economic diversification, a country’s natural resources are actually important especially to the developing countries in Africa which mainly depend on natural resources. Many countries in Africa, export natural resources to different continents and the problem with this exportation is that the prices fluctuates which lowers economic growth. Therefore, the need for expanding the beneficiation of such products, and seeking sustainable utilization where possible, are priorities for African economic growth and diversification. So in order for African countries to 2018-03-01T05:00:39.3-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/africa-in-focus-45420.aspx To Ms. Thrifty The Supervisor, CC. Members of the Department Having participated in the course for just a month, I am confident it is worth the department’s investment. I am halfway through the assigned lessons and it has already made an impact in my life. The first section of COMM 1103 emphasizes the need for having effective communication models in institutions. Given the numerous business conversations that take place within our department, I would recommend adoption of some of the proposed measures for ensuring improved productivity. In this email, I will be recommending five major writing tips that can be embraced to reform our company’s business communication approaches. Tip 1: Knowing the Audience It might seem obvious but knowing the person a message is intended for is very beneficial and may offer adequate results. For instance, while communicating with members of the senior management, one should be respectful and clearly state the intention of the message. Some other factors to consider regarding the audience include age, level of education, and his/her familiarity with the topic of discussion. The writing should also be addressed to the target audience. The audience may be a group of workers or specific persons. Tip 2: Avoiding the use of Company’s Buzzwords and Acronyms This practice is common with some members of our department. I have found myself using them at some points of my emails while addressing some of my closest friends in the office. However, I have come to realize that they might be offending to the audience even if they don’t say it. Using a simple grammar is particularly a good practice while addressing anyone within the department. Tip 3: Utilization of the Prime Questions Even before one starts writing a letter, email, or other notifications its good practice to reflect on their purpose. Asking ourselves what we want the reader to know and the expected responses may help us come with good letters, emails, memos, or other types of written messages. Identifying the reader is also a reliable step at this point. Tip 4: Drafting Ideas It’s good to draft the message and reflect on whether it meets all the requirements. As a result, one is able to add more content and exclude less important points addressed in the material. This approach also helps ensure that every sentence in the piece of writing serves the general purpose. Tip 5: 2018-02-20T03:02:14.143-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Letter-45418.aspx Name Professor’s name Name of institution Date A Report on the Performance of the American Economy for 2016 to 2017 The Gross Domestic Product in America grew with 2.8% in the 3rd quarter, which is an implication of economic stability. However, the nation would experience a fall in the index in the subsequent two quarters. The fall in the 4th quarter was an unstable economy as long as it is below 2%. The economy made a rebound in the 2nd quarter in 2017, which was 3.1% from 1.2%. Economists associate the response to the solution to the hurricane disasters in America. Figure 1: The GDP record by the US Depart of Commerce The figure is an illustration of the rise in the GDP in the quarters of 2016 that follows a fall in the second half of a business year. Therefore, the GDP is bound to grow in the last quarter of 2017 after the economic shock following the disruption in weather conditions as a lead to the first half of 2018 (Borissov and Hellier). The retail sales in the 3rd quarter were 0.9%, which shows a low performance in the consumer goods in the market. The prices went to a depression in the 1st and 2nd quarters with 1 and 0.3% respectively. However, companies had reached a peak in the 4th quarter of 2016 with 1.5% increase, but came back to 0.9% in the 3rd quarter of 2017. The number of existing homes sales increased for the three periods with 16140, 16640, and 16860. The government lowered the mortgage rates to enable the population to recover the losses from the weather condition. They may have increased the rates in the 2nd quarter of 2017 as the numbers reduced to 16690 and 16180. The case may mean that the population has made settlements that may influence economic activities. America maintained a consistent figure in the amount of new car sales. The sellers increased their volumes in the 4th quarter in 2016 from 53 to 54 million. The consistence may be the reason for the GDP stability in the period. On the other hand, the sales decreased with 1 million for every period. The sales have increased in the 3rd segment 2017, which affirms growth in the GDP. The consumer sentiments were lowest in the 3rd quarter of 2017. Nonetheless, they reached a peak in the 4th quarter that correlates with the 2017-11-15T14:19:57.703-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Report-on-the-Performance-of-the-American-Economy-for-2016-to-2017-45393.aspx A Look at the Acceptability of Goal Priming in a Healthcare Setting Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Motivation in the work place is an ongoing and heavily researched area of organisational behaviour (Latham and Pinder, 2005) and arguably, motivation in the work place is crucial to organisational success and employee wellbeing (Kanfer, 2017). Motivation can be defined as the ‘internal factors that impel action and [the] external factors that can act as inducements to action’ (Locke and Latham, 2004, p.388). It is believed there are three core aspects that affect motivation which are; direction, intensity and duration (Locke and Latham, 2004). Direction looks at the way in which efforts are focused, intensity focuses on ‘how hard a person tries’ and duration looks at persistence, and for how long a person can continue to maintain their efforts. It is believed that a motivated individual will persist until their objective is complete (Robbins and Judge, 2003, p.202). Motivation theories are often divided into two main groups; content and process theories. Content theories aim to explain the specific needs which motivate an individual and give them satisfaction in their work. They place emphasis on the nature of an individual’s needs and what motivates those needs (Dinibutun, 2012). The main content theorists and theories are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943), Aldefer’s ERG theory (1969), Herzberg’s’ two-factor theory (1959) and McClelland’s’ achievement motivation theory (1988). Process theories look at how an individual’s specific needs or set of values impact their job satisfaction (Locke, 1976). They focus on ‘how behaviour is energised, directed, sustained and stopped’ (Gibson et al, 2012, p.129). Common process theories are Vrooms (1964) expectancy theory, Adams (1963) equity theory and Locke’s (1968) Goal setting theory. Goal setting theory lies within the cognitive psychology field (Meichenbaum, 1977) and the theory is supported by a large abundance of evidence, with 90% of studies showing a positive or partially positive result (Locke et al, 1981). The theory assumes that conscious goals are an immediate regulator for human action (Locke et al, 1981). Building on this theory and integrating it with the automaticity model (Bargh, 1990), Latham et al (2017) identified a relationship between priming, goal difficulty and task performance. However, whilst subconscious motivation may show promise, there is growing pressure on organisations to be ‘transparent’ in their actions to reduce corruption, tax avoidance and allow the pubic to see what goes on ‘behind closed doors’ (Roberts, 2009, p.1). Therefore, it is 2017-09-20T12:56:38.98-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Look-at-the-Acceptability-of-Goal-Priming-in-a-Healthcare-Setting-45375.aspx Marx, Ehrenreich, and Fuentes’ Description of Labor Name Institution Marx, Ehrenreich, and Fuentes’ Description of 2017-08-24T06:30:42.903-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Marx,-Ehrenreich,-and-Fuentes’-Description-of-Labor-45366.aspx Social structure and crime Student’s name Instructor Institution Date Introduction There are factors in the society that play a significant role in the occurrence of crime or discrimination. Durkheim and Merton use sociological concepts to explain the causes of immoralities. They provided explanations on how social structures control the ability of an individual to engage in behaviors and activities that don’t conform to societal norms. Durkheim explains anomie using the difference in suicide rates across different religions (Nam, Parboteeah, Cullen & Johnson, 2014). He compared the differences between Protestants and Catholics, women and men, single and engaged people, and soldiers and civilians. Merton (1938) uses social structure and anomie to explain the origin of deviant behaviors in an individual. The two theorists have similarities in defining certain abnormalities in the society. This paper discusses what Merton draws from the concepts of Durkheim in explaining the contributions of social factors to deviant behaviors. Merton borrows a lot from Durkheim. The former understood the influence of social factors on deviant behaviors by comparing different groups of people. His main interest was the reason why rates of deviance vary across different societies and different subgroups within a given society. He explains that individuals in the low class don’t have the same opportunities people in the high-class have. The comparison is evident in the way Durkheim explains the role of social factors on suicide rates across different religions, sexes and so on (Durkheim & Thompson, 2004). The data from his study showed that there was a low suicide rate among the Catholics was a result of their social structures that are different from Protestants. Merton (1938) adopts a concept from Durkheim to analyze the situations in which the society creates deviance and disunity. Both employed anomie but using different terms. In Durkheim’s usage, anomie is the phenomenon where cultural norms deviate as a result of a sudden change (Durkheim & Thompson, 2004). He gave the example of anomic suicide, which increased when members of the society are not able to achieve goals they pursue. In the theory of social structure and anomie, Merton changes the concept slightly to the situation where there is no consistency between norms of society that defines success in life and the norms that describe the appropriate ways of achieving success. The variables that define success and ways of achieving success are goals and means respectively. Merton (1938) used anomie as an explanation for the deviant 2017-08-24T06:23:16.8-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-structure-and-crime-45365.aspx Name Institutional Affiliation The Analysis of Geertz Reliance on Thick Description In his essay, Geertz thoroughly offers an archetypal instance of interpretive approach. He comprehensively examines commonplace practices of gambling and gaming to create an account of prominence hierarchies and machismo in Bali (Geertz, 2008). However, he uses the analogy to explain how the humanity culture develops as an ensemble of texts that people find hard to read. In comprehending, how the essay relies on the thick description, it is imperative to highlight its meaning. The approach evaluates behavior that uses practices initially developed for examining literature (Selby, 2017). In this regard, the paper discusses the anthropological importance of Deep Play as occurring in The Balinese Cockfight as well as its parallelism to the thick description. The interpretive approach involves the infinitesimal analysis of a precise framework in a highly participatory manner. By using specific examples of gambling, Geertz manages in offering explanations on the social change of gaming as well as how numerous casual elements interrelate. Thus, for people to interpret a culture, they should first detach its components, identify internal linkages, and illustrate the system in a universal manner according to signs around which it exists. In fact, his reliance on thick description arises when he posits that his evaluation is not experimental but interpretive (Selby, 2017). The concept of “deep play” offers him a way of elucidating the representative dimensions of money and status as entrenched into the configurations of the Balinese cock fight. In this society, people risk honor, status, demonstration, and money for a game of cock fight (Geertz, 2008). However, considering the gains that one might attain, the stakes of the contest are high. Geertz’s reflections of the betting index the explanatory turn in anthropology, as they contain too much textualism. In fact, his use of details when he recounts the heart-throbbing pursuit, the cockfights, and the appearance of the police draws the reader into the community. The event of the cockfight helped Geertz transition from a stranger to a partaker and his comprehensive account makes the audiences feel as if they are active contributors in the performance. Moreover, it helps to establish a subjective authority, which means Geertz appears as knowledgeable in telling the story. According to the analogy, Bali people form a most interesting society based on a culture that they seem to seek to uphold through tooth and nail. Notes on the Balinese Cockfight offers critical insights 2017-08-24T06:11:17.14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Analysis-of-Geertz-Reliance-on-Thick-Description-45364.aspx Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation In what ways is The Sorcerer and His Magic an Example of Structural Anthropology? Structural anthropology is based on Claude Lévi-Strauss' notion that undisputable deep structures occur in all cultures. Thus, all cultural undertakings have homologous complements in other cultures, that is, all cultures are equitable. The Sorcerer and His Magic expresses many instances of structural anthropology including the reality of magic, having Kwaikutl believe in sorcery, having the notion that normal people view life as meaningless, and when Nambicuara magician made his community to have a belief in magic. The conviction which makes magic operational comes from structural anthropology. Magic is efficient because people get better by seeing the shaman. This belief is according to Levi-Strauss emanating from the practitioner-patient-relationship. Having the three parties believe that magic has been used in a certain case makes magic real. This is exemplified when Levi-Strauss indicates that one party failed to trust magic, but later believed in it. This was the Zuni boy who was blamed of conducting sorcery by his supposed victim. At first, he refuted the allegation, but due to pressure, he acknowledged and began to brag about his powers. The community, his victim, and him have an influence that his magic is real (Douglas, 2013). Hence, as per Levi-Strauss, magic is existent implying an undisputable deep structure in the culture. By having Kwaikutl believe in sorcery, The Sorcerer and His Magic is an example of structural anthropology. The community and the patients influenced Kwaikiutl to believe in magic, which is thought to be an undisputable system. He partook of learning the trickeries of sorcerers through apprenticeship. He was beckoned to heal, and was considered successful. He had desired to uncover sorcerers, but he started to trust that some of their practices were less fabricated than others. This happened after he met the neighboring shamans who were not able to release the bloody worm spat by Quesalid during the healing process. As such, Quesalid encountered two insufficient systems, that is, the one from his village, and the one from the other village. However, he discovered that one was more valid. Hence he went back to Kwaikiutl to compete with him pertaining the learned technique, and he succeeded. Consequently, Kwaikiutl begged Quesalid to teach him the trick. However, Kwaikiutl ended up performing his tricks, and confessed that he was fake and became mad (Levi-Strauss, 2014). Quesalid persisted with his career, and 2017-08-24T02:35:20.297-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/In-what-ways-is-The-Sorcerer-and-His-Magic-an-example-of-structural-anthropology-45363.aspx Name Affiliation Date How Rose uses the Genealogical Approach Genealogy usually looks at the transformation of the historical events associated with a certain concept and the knowledge and philosophical assumptions that have been incorporated. Hence, it compares the past and the present while seeking the rationality that people should adopt in analyzing certain issues such as the sexuality and democracy. Governing “Advanced” Liberal Democracies by Nikolas Rose analyzes how liberalism has changed over the years and its benefits to the electorates. This essay will reveal how Rose uses genealogy in showing the history of the liberal rule, showing the relationships between knowledge, politics and the human subjects as well as the power dynamics in the society. Rose (1996) relies on genealogy to discuss the limits of power in politics and how the society can make the changes in making the relations more productive. In particular, the insights reveal how power has been associated with authority and politics. For instance, the political institutions believe that they are the ones that retain the responsibility of determining various tasks that should be undertaken in the society (Dean, 2002). However, they have ignored the non-political bodies that also have the ability to identify how certain activities should be done. In this case, Rose (1996) uses genealogy in discussing the limits that have confined the society into believing that they are powerless. The reading also highlights that the political forces and the technical procedures do not retain the capacity to control the electorates. Instead, they also have the liberal or democratic duty of seeking what will benefit them in the long-run. Furthermore, Rose (1996) uses genealogy in looking at the conventional history of the liberal rule and how it relates to reason and rationality. In the process, Rose (1996) is able to highlight the three prepositions that reveal how the liberal rule has transformed over the years. For instance, he shows how the nineteen century had liberalism that focused on the philosophical assumptions that evaluated how people lived or even engaged in various economic activities. The analysis also shifts to the twentieth century where the political powers enhanced their expertise and expanded their authority over various institutions in the society (Rose, 1996). Lastly, he even talks about the advanced liberal rule shifting to the morals and treating the electorates with the equity needed (Rose, 1996). More importantly, genealogy is used in capturing the history while illustrating the reason that is 2017-08-24T02:16:33.207-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/-How-Rose-uses-the-Genealogical-Approach-45362.aspx Name Institutional Affiliation FOOD RELATED RESPONSE WRITING How Food Systems are affected by Climate Change, Cause & Effect Feedback Loop The food industry has experienced a significant change in structures over the years. Farming has been left to a few people who own large farms making the individuals very powerful and influential. The change in climate has compromised the food quality and which explains why there are many challenges to food safety consumed by people today. For example, animals are no longer fed on grass as their regular foods but on corn. Farmers resort to this to boost their yield and bring down the costs. The implication of this is that infectious forms and pathogens that are highly resilient to drugs like E-coli have come up. Also, antibiotics are extensively used in animal farming. These pathogens are effortlessly channeled to humans when they consume such products. Thus, it does affect their health negatively. Renewable, Renewable but exhaustible, or Non-renewable Foods Kenner highlights some foods whose quality are compromised in his movie. Renewables foods include food plants and animals that are growing. For example, the cow or plants like the corn. The moment the corn or animal’s genetic system are genetically modified, the no longer become renewable. Water is also categorized under renewable. Non-renewable foods include genetically modified beef, goat’s meat, and other animal meats. Thus, to the consumers, they are unhealthy foods, but to the manufacturers and producers, this is a profit making venture. Non-renewable foods can run out when used by consumers. Animals’ products are sometimes renewable but exhaustible. Their continuity is cut off after sometimes. Natural or Synthetic Foods Most foods in the industry are genetically engineered, but there are others that are not genetically engineered. The non-genetically engineered foods remain to be the natural foods. For example, the non-genetically engineered soya beans or other food plants are natural. Genetically engineered soya beans and trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup are synthetic foods presented to consumers. They are synthetic foods because their genetic components have been manipulated. The synthetic foods have formed the fast food nation. Tragedy of the commons in Food Inc. Draw a diagram to illustrate this. One of the major tragedies is the letdown of the United States Department of Agriculture to prevent the food plants that produce food products of low quality. Foods that have tested for E. coli has continuously been channeled to the 2017-06-14T00:48:09.88-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/FOOD-RELATED-RESPONSE-WRITING-45342.aspx Student Professor Course Date Men are Believed to be Bold in Difficulties Compared to Women Since back in the medieval period, men are believed to be capable handling difficult and stressing situations in life. In the past, men were primarily involved in war and hunting in dangerous places. The community tends to believe that men are powerful and less affected emotionally. As a result of misconceptions, numerous men have perished from depression due to cases such as post-traumatic disorders. The society discourages men from expressing their emotions publicly. The paper discusses the issue of gender over-expectations regarding men and ways of enabling men to express their emotions in the community without the fear of being disgraced. As discussed by Joan Morgan, hip-hop music is one way in which women and men relieve their stress, especially the African Americas (Colombo, Cullen and Lisle P. 535). As indicated by the following statement, “much content in the hip-hip music is about chemical dependence, substance abuse, and alcoholism," shows that singers composed their songs to console themselves out of depression. As exhibited by Morgan, hip-hop singers who are especially men tend to utilize words such as “hos and bitches” which is a sign of low self-esteem. For instances, the Africans Americans have experienced discrimination and grueling situations such as unjust killings and long jail terms (Colombo, Cullen and Lisle p. 534). Due to the limited advocacy to counsel and help men heal their current and past wounds, a majority have shifted to hip-hop songs, not to educate the mass, but to entertain and drive away their thoughts. According to the views of Morgan, due to the choice of words used in hip-hop music, many men who are African American rarely attain the maturity level (Colombo, Cullen and Lisle p. 534). Her statement is showed by the sentence that men’s expression in the music makes them appear less powerful, instead of confronting the evils affecting their community directly. The book shows that the community encourages men to utilize harsh methods including bloodshed to solve key issues. Moreover, the author exposes some of the regrets uttered by the black individuals who have been jailed for involving in violent activities. “Although I admit that the charges leveled against me are unfair, I believe I should not have paid with my life" statement shows that confrontation is a dangerous way of solving key 2017-06-02T02:33:24.54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Men-are-Believed-to-be-Bold-in-Difficulties-Compared-to-Women-45338.aspx The Madeleine Theory Student’s name Institution Instructor Date Introduction The theory of culture care diversity and university propagated by Madeleine Leininger is my suitable choice basing on this week’s reading. Leininger, just like other researchers and scholars, had a keen interest in developing knowledge in the nursing 2017-05-05T03:07:36.273-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Madeleine-Theory-45322.aspx Human Resources Strategic Plan Name Course Instructor Date Human Resources Strategic Plan Organizations must plan effectively in the HR section in order to ensure that they do not only adhere to the demand and supply of labor but also to ensure that the workforce is in line with the operations and strategy of an organization (Bach and Edwards, 2013). In respect to the presented case study, a variety of actions should be taken in order to streamline the activities of the HR department in order to ensure that they serve in supporting the overall organization strategy. Research on current HR functions The first step will involve conducting research in order to understand the root cause of the current problems. This will involve an examination of the possible measures to put in place in order to ensure that the HR functions are supportive of the employees as opposed to serving as barriers for employees from achieving the organizational goals. According to Gashi (2013), research should serve in addressing the way HR functions would further serve in supporting employees’ needs in order to eliminate disengagement at the place of work. Where employees’ needs are balanced in the place of work, it leads to increased productivity as employees are motivated to work. Goal setting and strategic planning Planning is crucial in the HR department in that it enables in selecting the best employees that will enable in achieving the vision and mission of an organization (McGuire et al., 2012). Before coming up with an HR strategic plan, the HR must set specific goals they intend the workforce to achieve and are in line with overall organizational goals. Development of core competency It comprises of a set of skills as well as knowledge essential in enabling the organization to achieve a competitive advantage (Martocchio, 2015). It is equally important in enabling value creation to the customers. Centralizing HR This will enable in defining roles and tasks of individuals running the HR department in order to avoid confusion (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2016). Considering that the HR is involved in various processes that impact on the overall workforce, centralization is imperative in ensuring that specific tasks are assigned to specific individuals that are responsible and accountable to such tasks. Furthermore, by centralizing the HR, it will become easier to identify the necessary skills required in the organization’s workforce and recruit to fill such positions. Review possible need for downsizing Currently, the organization is in need of 2017-04-26T03:36:58.07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Human-Resources-Strategic-Plan-45317.aspx References Cited/Bibliography: 1. Almeda, Fernando A. “Surigao Across the years.”Heritage Publishing House, Quezon City, Philippines.1993. 2. Azarcon, Gelbert “Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and (ADSDPP) of Indigenous Peoples of San Miguel). San Miguel, Surigao del Sur Philippines, 2009. 3 Beyer, Otley H., “The Negritoes and the Aboriginal Peoples of the Philippines “, Manila, Philippines, 1917. 4. Burton, Linda .”Manobo Religion and Rituals “, Kinaadaman, Vol.111, No.1, Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, 1985. 5. Caynap, Dianalyn S. et.al. “Tud-om of the San Miguel Mnobos”BA English Language Thesis. Surigao del Sur State University, Tandag City, Philippines, 2009. 6. Cole, Fay –Cooper. The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. Field Museum of Natural History Publication # 170. Anthropological Series XII, 1913. 7. Eleazar, Eulogio V. “Cantilan in 1571-1899: A History of a Town in Surigao del Sur” Cantilan, Surigao Del Sur, Philippines, 1985. 8. Garvan, John M. “The Manobos of Mindanao “.Memoirs of the National Academy Government Printing Office, Washington USA, 1931. 9. Garvan, John M. “Lifestyles of the Manobo’s in the Mountain Ranges.” Government Washington, Printing Office, USA, 1937. 10. Garvan, John M. “Survey of Material Culture of Eastern Agusan “. Government Printing Office, Washington, USA, 1927. 11. Garvan, John M., “The Negritoes of the Philippines. Herman Hochegger Horn Wren: Verlang Ferdinand. Austria, 1964 12. Garbarino, Merwyn S. “Native American Heritage “. Waveland Press, Inc. PO.Box 400 Prospect Heights, Illinois, USA. , 1985 13. Gelacio, Teofilo E. “The Manobos of Agusan Valley and Diwata Range “. San Francisco Agusan Del Sur, Philippines. (n.d.). No date. International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 1 No. 12 December 2013 15 14. Indigenous Peoples of Act of 1997 (RA 8371). , National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Manila, Philippines, 1997. 15. Lao, Mardonio, M.” The Lumads of Bukidnon “. Kinaadman Journal Vo. XVIII, Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. 1996. 16. Maceda, Marcelino N.” The Christians and Non –Muslim Cultural Communities of Mindanao. Compilation Manuscript, Bukidnon Province, Philippines, 1978. 17. Maceda, Marcelino N., “The Culture of the Mamanuas of Northeastern Mindanao as Compared With that of other Negritoes of South East Asia, University of San Carlos Publications, Cebu City, Philippines, 1975. 18. Maceda, Marcelino N., “Manobo Society: Selected Patterns and Possible Change”. San Carlos Publications Series E: Miscellaneous Contributions in the Humanities “. USC Cebu City Philippines, 1968. 19. Maceda, Marcelino N., A Survey of the Socio-Economic, Religious Educational Conditions of The Mamanuas of Northeast Mindanao”. Thesis (MA) University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines, 1964. 20. Rahmann, Rudolf, SVD.”The Negritoes in the Context of Research of Food Gatherers During This Century. Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society 3(4) Cebu City, Philippines. 21. Rahman Rodulf, SVD “The Negritoes of the 2017-04-24T12:30:46.027-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Manobolandia-45315.aspx The Manobolandia: Discourse of its Ethno-History and Extent of Dev. Interventions. The paper delves with: 1. The Tribal History before colonization; 2. The tribal history of colonization; 3. The tribal history after second world war; 4. The tribal history after liberation 5. The tribal history of martial law; 6. The educational services of the Phil. state; 7. The creation of agricultural school; 8. The rich ancestral domains and the majority Bisaya used; 9. The site situation; 10. Community development interventions; 11. Construct of socio-cultural views; 12. The tribal institutions; 13. The oral literature; 14. The ethnography; 15. The Peace and order situation during martial law; 16. The need of tribal school 17The mandate of NCIP 18. The ancestral domains; 19. The tribal identity; 20. The future. The paper delves in the discussion of the ethno history of the Manobo’s in Surigao del Sur, Philippines. It covers in the dialogue of their world views, oral tradition/narratives, topography of their earliest settlements, indigenous religious ceremonies and rituals, socio-cultural change and drivers of cultural transition. The ethnographic method was used. Free, Prior and Informed consent was secured in the Manobo communities. Among the most potent drivers of cultural transitions of the Manobo’s were the introduction of tertiary education in the heart of the Manobolandia (Manoboland) in Carromata San Miguel Surigao del Sur which provided quality and affordable higher education to the Manobo’s, the opening of lumber and mining companies in the sites, the passage of the Philippine Indigenous Peoples The act of 1997 made them aware of their rights such their ownership of the ancestral domains claims. Movement for the preservation of their cultural institutions as part of Philippine traditions/cultural inheritance and for posterity had been instituted by various Philippine agencies.References Cited/Bibliography: 1. Almeda, Fernando A. “Surigao Across the years.”Heritage Publishing House, Quezon City, Philippines.1993. 2. Azarcon, Gelbert “Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and (ADSDPP) of Indigenous Peoples of San Miguel). San Miguel, Surigao del Sur Philippines, 2009. 3 Beyer, Otley H., “The Negritoes and the Aboriginal Peoples of the Philippines “, Manila, Philippines, 1917. 4. Burton, Linda .”Manobo Religion and Rituals “, Kinaadaman, Vol.111, No.1, Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, 1985. 5. Caynap, Dianalyn S. et.al. “Tud-om of the San Miguel Mnobos”BA English Language Thesis. Surigao del Sur State University, Tandag City, Philippines, 2009. 6. Cole, Fay –Cooper. The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. Field Museum of Natural History Publication # 170. Anthropological Series XII, 1913. 7. Eleazar, Eulogio V. “Cantilan in 1571-1899: A History of a Town in Surigao del Sur” Cantilan, Surigao Del Sur, Philippines, 1985. 8. Garvan, John M. “The Manobos of Mindanao “.Memoirs of the National Academy Government Printing Office, Washington 2017-04-24T12:23:54.907-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Manobolandia-Discourse-of-its-Ethno-History-and-Extent-of-Dev_-Interventions-45314.aspx Social Change Blog Name Institutional Affiliations Social Change Blog Bandiera and Natraj, (2013) note that whenever we talk about gender, the topic of equity does not acquire the attention it demands. Women have been consistently underserved throughout the human history and although much has changed, there remains much to be addressed (In Givens et al., 2014). The feminist movement has been critical in the awakening of the society, particularly through the spread of awareness concerning equity and rights (Hooks, 2014). Therefore, at this juncture, it is important to acknowledge the role that psychology has played in the feminist movement as per Hooks’ (2015) perspectives in the book Feminism is for Everybody. One of the key roles played by psychologists is the enhancement of self-recognition measures through the affirmation of the position of women in the society (Bandiera & Natraj, 2013). Additionally, the authors also claim that assessing the contribution of emotion and the general nature of women to the prevailing social condition is possible through the integration of psychology. In Givens et al., (2014) clearly highlight that Violence is also broadly considered as a faction of feminist psychology where feminists have showed the tendency to dispute the family structure as long as domestic violence exists. According to Bandiera and Natraj (2013), it is regrettable that the modern society has not embraced differences in ethnicity and that such differences further undermine the well-being of women in the society. The author also points out that African-American women have been the most notable recipients of gender oppression that has been exaggerated by the relationship between ethnic groups. Ideally, Hooks (2015) asserts that there are different metrics and indicators of gender equity that include life expectancy disparity, political empowerment, access to education, and distribution of opportunity. Therefore, gender inequality should remain a priority to every person, particularly because it affects the entire population as per In Given et al. (2014) views. Moreover, some of the actions committed against women such as rape, physical violence, and murder are beyond the denial of the basic human rights in agreement with the above authors’ points of view. Although women 2017-04-24T04:25:17.017-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/--Social-Change-Blog-45313.aspx Smoking: Target Market Teens Canada Name: Date: Smoking: Target Market Teens Canada Customers are vital to the success of any business. Consequently, existing firms looks at ways of retaining customers while new businesses develop unique approaches to attract clients. Usually, the number of consumers who use a service or a product determines the market share of a firm. In addition, it translates to the level of revenues received by the enterprises. Naturally, firms do market research to identify gaps in the market that are not met by the existing products. The new goods or services are therefore, designed to fill the gaps (Hiilamo, Crosbie & Glantz, 2014). For any new product, wrestling market share from the existing product or business may not be easy. Therefore, each product is designed to serve a target market. Simply, a target market is the potential customers. The paper will discuss marketing strategies that can increase the number of cigarette sales among the teens in Canada. The study shows most people start smoking at teenage. Consequently, tobacco companies in Canada are developing marketing plans intended to hook this group. Typically, the adult smokers are dying because of age and other health issues, the only way to keep tobacco companies up and running is to encourage teens to smoke (Hiilamo, Crosbie & Glantz, 2014). The effects of smoking on the health of an individual are known, and governments across the globe are developing regulations to combat tobacco use. Therefore, tobacco companies have to develop market plans that win the mind and hearts of potential smokers and the regulators. Advertising Plan The legal smoking age in Canada is 18 to 19 years. Therefore, the target market for the product is the high school and college students. Research show many teens who smoke in Canada think smoking is stylish. In addition, the challenge facing the cigarette market in Canada is the dwindling number of smokers due to age and health related issues. The strength of the market is the higher rates of teen smokers compared to other Western societies. Simply, the market for the cigarettes in Canada is growing at higher rates than other western countries (Hiilamo, Crosbie & Glantz, 2014). The threat to the market is the contraband from the United States that constitutes almost a third of the market share. The other threat is the government imposition of taxes, which is making Canadian cigarettes too expensive and attracting dealers in contrabands. Canadian 2017-04-22T04:08:04.32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Smoking-Target-Market-Teens-Canada-45311.aspx The Story of me through a Mini-Autobiography Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation The Story of Me through a Mini-Autobiography Introduction Looking back at my life, I can honestly say it has been about boldness and making great sacrifices on my part and my family to attain success. The date was 16th March 1995 and as the subway door closed, that was the first time that my family would be separated from our humble village for a long time. At last, we were moving from the humble village of farmers and fishermen going to Beijing to continue pursuing our studies. During our first days in Beijing having moved from the humble village, we were unable to adequately express ourselves in English as this was the major language spoken in the neighborhood. The transition into Beijing lifestyle from a humble background was marred by confusion and helplessness as we struggled to adapt and acculturate. Although our parents helped us in the transition, they could not shield us from all the struggles that come with adjusting to a different kind of life with new friends, school, and challenges. Nonetheless, their effort to help us fit in and succeed just as them in Beijing has forever remained my motivation and curiosity source in my whole life. My parents did not have college degrees. As a result, they could not land any well-paying jobs to provide for all their financial needs. However, my father being entrepreneurial, after saving for five years and with help from other fellow friends he was able to open a pawn shop that was able to alleviate them from the big financial constraints that we could have encountered. Growing up in my free times if I was not in school and done with assisting my mother to do the house chores, I would always join my father in the pawn shop sometimes serving as a receptionist or a sales person. In light of this, it is noteworthy to admit that the pawn shop business is what instigated the desire to not only study business but also focus more on management. Besides, every time I went to assist my father in the shop he would say “Now remember Cutie, our business success depends on our management of everything.” Therefore, based on my life experiences, I believe it can best be described and summarized by the virtues discussed below. Competence I passed my primary education and with the dreams of 2017-04-22T02:34:19.43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Story-of-You-ME___-45310.aspx Communication Barriers Communication plays a vital part in ensuring the success of any organization. It is the tool that enables workers to reduce inefficiencies and wastage by making sure that they all aim at achieve the goals of the entity. In a society where information has become a necessity, there are several barriers that limit the effectiveness of interpersonal communication and thus interfering with the overall performance of the organization. The situation has been made worse by the fact that the world has become increasingly interconnected, and this has led to people who come from very different backgrounds working together. The paper evaluates the issue of communication barriers and its impact on a worker's output. It seeks to show that the challenge can be eradicated by creating an environment that enables employees to learn the importance of communication and the ways the barriers can be avoided for the betterment of the firm. Report of incidence Recently, I was working in a welfare organization which tries to ensure that poor members of the society are protected from exploitation by their wealthy counterparts. Here, my job was to ensure that all those who were in need of the firm's services were given an opportunity to make their case. In the same workplace, there was an accountant who was of Southeast Asia origin. Given the nature of our responsibilities in the entity, we hardly had an opportunity to interact apart from the occasional mingling during office meetings. However, this soon changed after we engaged each other in a heated argument that almost turned violence in the accounts office. On this particular day, I received an email from his office requiring me to report to him immediately. The memo stated that I had failed to account for some funds allocated to me and that failure to report would result in unwanted consequences. After reading his mail, I was overcome with anxiety and range at the same time. I stormed into his office demanding an explanation for calling me a thief. Though he looked surprised by my claims, this did not stop me from insisting that I get an explanation. After I had been done reprimanding him, he asked what I was taking about. I referred him to the email he had sent to me. After exchanging some word, he stood up and told me to leave his office. Before exciting, I looked straight into his eyes and 2017-03-01T02:43:05.413-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Communication-Barriers-45291.aspx Name: Institutional Affiliation: Tutor: Date: Hero A hero is an individual who in the opinion of others, has exceptional achievements, abilities or personal qualities, and is considered as a role model. A hero is a genuine person who cares for the well-being and prosperity of others without seeking for fame. Someone who goes beyond societal norms and expectations. Heroes are important because they give people something to aspire for, provide hope and meaning to people’s lives. In the movie “Truman Show” the leading actor-Truman Burbank in the film is the hero. Truman Burbank is a 29-year-old, insurance salesman, who lives in a prosperous town called Seahaven, which is located on an island, probably off the coast of Florida. Truman is a sincere and kind person who begins to suspect that there is something strange going on in his life. He gradually learns the truth that he has been his entire life has been filmed for a television show that is broadcasted 24 hours daily. All the people he knows are professional actors who are paid to be part of his life. Discussed below are reasons why Truman Burbank is the hero in the movie “Truman show. “ Truman is a courageous individual. He has a phobia of water. This fear started when Truman was young. When he was young, he witnessed his father drown in a storm. As a consequence, he developed paranoia for traveling in water. The producer of the movie wanted Truman never to leave the island. Eventually, Truman becomes determined to leave the island. He had never left the island before. He is willing to go and look for the girl she once loved. Despite the producer manipulating the weather conditions to the extreme, Truman is not frightened to continue with his mission of leaving the island. Truman is dedicated and trustworthy. At work, Truman appears dedicated and honest, although he is “secretly” trying to create a picture of his lost love, Laureen, from models in magazine ads. Even though many years had gone since he last saw the girl she loved, he was still determined to look for her. In another instance, every means of transport was blocked. Cars, buses, and boats were no allowed to leave the island. Truman, because of his determination, seek different alternative of escaping from the island. At this point, Truman’s past comes back to him, and reminds him why it’s so difficult to 2017-02-24T01:30:58.85-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-hero-is-an-individual-who-in-the-opinion-of-others,-has-exceptional-achievements,-abilities-or-personal-qualities,-and-is-considered-as-a-role-model_-45289.aspx Elderly Abuse Introduction A. The old experience varying forms of abuse by their families and caretakers because of their venerability due to old age or deteriorating mental and physical health. B. The old depend on other people for activities of daily life. Main points A. The main forms of abuse include physical, financial, and mental abuse and neglect. B. Identifying risk factors and warning signs are essential in developing preventive strategies. Topic A. Physical abuse is the most prevalent in all community, which involves hitting, spanking, burning, restraint and imprisonment, as well as sexual assult. B. Financial abuse has evolved into an important issue. It is perpetrated by member of the family, caregiver, institutions or strangers through financial exploitation or using resources to control the individual. C. Emotional or mental abuse involves senior citizens being humiliated, ridiculed, blamed or molested. D. Neglect entails being deprived essential goods and services such as food, medical care, clothing, and other necessary commodities. E. Incidences of abuse can be detected through; a. Identification of signs of physical abuse. b. Changes in behavior or personality. c. Large bank withdrawals and unnecessary spending. d. Visible signs of neglect such as poor hygiene, malnutrition, unsafe living environment and lack of proper medication Nursing Implications A. Result in premature mortality due to reduced functional ability and worsening of physical and mental health. B. Reporting of identified or suspected incidences to the relevant authorities is critical for nurses. C. Training and awareness among health care professionals can have huge impacts on elderly protection. D. Community service nurses have a greater responsibility in promoting patient welfare. E. Nurses have a role in identification of risk factors and development of appropriate countermeasures and strategies. Conclusion A. Elderly abuse remains an important social and health issue in the modern society. B. A huge percentage of elders are at risk of abuse. C. Nurses and other medical workers have a huge responsibility in protecting the welfare of elderly patients. Abuse Name Course Instructor Date Abuse In all societies, the old experience varying forms of abuse by their families and caretakers. This is mainly caused by their venerability due to old age or deteriorating mental and physical health. The fact that they depend on help from others in activities of daily life increases the risks. Some of the main common types of abuses include physical, financial and mental abuse as well as neglect. There are several ways through which incidences of elderly mistreatment can be dealt with. This is mainly through identification of the warning signs. Identifying risk factors and consequences is critical in developing strategies that protect the 2017-01-05T22:47:36.963-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Elderly-Abuse-35265.aspx Criminal Defense Case Analysis. Student’s Name Institution’s Affiliation Criminal Defense Case Analysis Crimes are committed every day due to factors such as insanity, breaking the law, the error of facts and even age. Some of these offenses are unintentional and have to be defended during the prosecution. The paper discusses two criminal cases which contain elements of the causes mentioned above and other crimes and how they were used along with telling the outcomes of the two cases. The two cases Defense is the action of resisting an attack. The first instance for this study is Nancy Seaman’s case. She is married to Bob and were a couple of 31 years with two sons in the marriage. Nancy was tired of spousal abuse from her husband and was planning to move out of their marriage home. One morning when Bob realized that Nancy was almost leaving, when holding knife he chased her as she ran to the garage. In the garage, Nancy stroke him with a hatchet 15 times before stabbing her to death. During the prosecution, she defended herself that she did that due to self-defense and other abuses. She was later found guilty and given a life sentence (Krajicek, D. J, 2013). The second case for this study is the Lorena Bobbit situation. Lorena and John Bobbitt were also married couples. Throughout their marriage, John used to mentally and sexually abuse Lorena. One evening, John came home and went to the bedroom where she raped Lorena. After the incident, Lorena went to the kitchen to have some water and saw a sharp knife. She went back to the bedroom with the knife and chopped off John’s penis. After the happening, she drove off the apartment then called the police. During the trial, she claimed to be mentally ill. She was only charged for temporary insanity then later released (Reed, L. C). Types of Defenses Self-defense: in this instance, the offended or the offender claims that if not because of self-protection, he would have suffered significant harms or even death (Akande, D., & Liefländer, T). Insanity - defense- it is also called mental disorder defense. During prosecution, the offender may claim that his actions were due to a disease that might have caused mental illness or insanity. The main reason behind this defense is that behind any scene of a crime, there has to be the spiritual element. To ascertain irrationality claims, the 2016-12-06T04:35:35.987-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Criminal-Defense-Case-Analysis-35255.aspx Introduction My life experiences have taught me the importance of having effective communication and interpersonal skills. I have been able to stand firm for what I believe in regardless of the circumstance surrounding it. I have also learned that challenges are there to overcome regardless of one’s background. I have been exposed to people of different ranks, become a leader of our football team and volunteered within the community and USAFA. It is these array of attributes, life experiences and unique perspectives which I have acquired throughout my life that I look forward to sharing with the classroom, student body and the Academy as a whole if accepted into USAFA. Being enlisted exposed me to the rank structure and as a result, I have been able to interact with people at different administrative positions. This will have impacts on the classroom because I will be able to explain what serving at the lowest level means. Additionally, engaging with class commanders and instructors will help me create good relations with them for effective learning hence making it easy to absorb what is being taught and relate it to daily class experience. Lastly through my life experience and unique perspective, I will be able to maintain a positive attitude throughout the academy, and this will help foster teamwork in the classroom. As a captain of a football team and as a PTL, I learned how to motivate my team members. For example, during physical trainings, I used to encourage the student body to put forth their best effort. This will positively impact the student body because it will help boost their morale and motivate them. Additionally, I am very persuasive and know how to get things done, and this means that if something needs to get done, I am in a position to rally the student body and ensure that the task is accomplished. I will use my leadership qualities to advocate for friendship and inclusiveness because this will help build a firm foundation of trust and Airmanship. I have always had a sense of pride for where I came from and for being a cadet. Additionally, being enlisted has opened my eyes to several opportunities in the air force academy and the community as a whole. As a result, I will work hard and make use of available opportunities within and beyond the academy. Volunteering within the community and USAFA 2016-11-28T00:21:29.417-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-influence-does-money-have-on-US-politics-35251.aspx Psychology Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Psychology (5a) Projecting into my future, I see a very good plan for adoption. Specifically, I view myself permanently adopting a child so that I can provide a bright future for those children in the Department of Social Services. This would be one of my ways of giving back to the society. Motivation and Fertility (7) I want to become a resource family because I need to have an additional child who will make my family. Additionally, I intend to help the child grow in a good environment having a family. (8) I am not a relative (9) I am able to get children biologically. As such, the intention of becoming a resource family is to help a child grown in a family environment as opposed to a care center. (10) My spouse has welcomed the idea, as he is also passionate about children. We share the same ideas that a child has the right to be in a good family environment. Placement/Adoption Issues and Special Needs (11) I understand that the children available for adoption/placement through the Department of Social Services are victims of unfortunate circumstances that calls for foster care. These include child neglect and abuse. (12) Permanency is important for children as it ensures stability. Specifically, children will get used to the same environment and, thereby, have stable growth. I am ready to commit to a child permanently as I would to bring up this child as my own. (13) I feel that it is important that children are assisted to recover from the memories of any unfortunate incidences that occurred in their lives. As such, I would gladly assist the child attend therapy/counselling sessions and do my one therapeutic sessions through trying to erase those memories of the past. (14) I would help a child with learning disability/special needs by negotiating a specific education process that would be cognizant of their disabilities. Additionally, I would personally ensure that the child gets all the materials necessary for his/her learning needs. (15) I would support the reunification of children with their parents/guardians through proper planning. In this regard, I would collaborate with the children’s parents/guardians in planning for the reunification. Additionally, I would offer the services and supports that would guarantee a safe return. (16) I think that those parents feel very lonely and violated. However, in my view, the interests of the child should come first. As such, the parenting rights should be terminated until the parents 2016-11-15T08:20:43.107-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychology-understanding-family-routines,-traditions-and-patterns-35249.aspx SOCIOLOGY: THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN SOCIETY Student name Institutional affiliation Sociology: The Role of Religion in Society It is well understood that religion serves the purpose of giving people a sense of responsibility to a greater being or power, the creator, and ruler of all life forms, or rather the Supreme Being. From this perspective, it is evident for one to see that religion serves the purpose of promotion of human morality and other associated norms of acceptable social behavior. The principles of morality in existence, and which traverse the core ideologies of most religions include but are not limited to righteousness, justice, kindness, honesty, tolerance, brotherhood, and equality. These principles are also known as virtues, which serve the purpose of ensuring human beings live happy and fulfilling lives (Davie, 2013). Several people have come up with different theories on religion. To further look at the subject matter of the role of religion in society, this paper will review a few of those theories. More specifically, the theories or viewpoints of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim will be considered for this discussion. According to Durkheim, religion poses as a system of beliefs, norms, and practices that are unified and about sacred things. These beliefs unite people to form a moral community such as the church for instance. Weber on the other hand credits religion for serving to shape the worldviews of individuals. In some way, Weber observes religion as a system of beliefs that fills the gap of intelligence of the unknown. The unknown in this case refers to matters like the origin of life, what happens to the spirits of people after death and the origin of the universe among other things. These beliefs, which fill an ideological vacuum, are responsible for the convictions that religious people experience. Then again, Marx’s theory of religion sees religion as a sanctuary where people can be relieved from the harshness of life, as they know it. The renowned scholar even once termed religion as “opium of the people” (Davie, 2013). As such, and according to Marx, religion implores people to accept the true realities of difficulties and challenges in life with hope for happiness and rewards from the Devine. Aside from the postulations of the theorists, it is safe to say that the role of religion has experienced some changes over time. During the medieval times, religion played roles in determining approaches to governance and 2016-11-02T08:09:33.507-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/the-role-of-religion-in-society-35239.aspx Name Professor Course Date Tuberculosis Grant Proposal 10/23/2016 Dr. Michael Browns Executive Director XYZ Foundation 16 South Street Miami, Ma 0277789 RE: TUBERCULOSIS ERADICATION Dear Mr. Brown, The Tuberculosis Eradication Program (TEP) is pleased to bring the following proposal for your review. We are looking forward to being partners with you in the war against tuberculosis in Ohio State. The country has the highest cases of tuberculosis around the world thus creating the need to eradicate it. The aim of the Tuberculosis Eradication Program aims at campaigning against tuberculosis so that we can evade some of its side effects since it might lead to death under extreme conditions. In the past two years, we have piloted the program, and there has been a reduction in the number of individuals contracting tuberculosis. Typically, the program provides screening services and also vaccinates people to eradicate the disease in the community. It is evident that there has been a measurable success and we are now seeking to expand the Tuberculosis Eradication Program so that we can save more people with tuberculosis. Our proposal requests $50,608 in the funding to obtain the screening materials both software and hardware and training more individuals to assist in the program. We appreciate the XYZ Foundation in taking part to assist us in fighting tuberculosis (which is currently a threat in this zone) through funding our program. Kindly give me a call at 350-830-166-9050 in case you require any information regarding this proposal. Thank you, Brien Blacks Program Coordinator Tuberculosis Eradication Program 985 Wall Street Tuberculosis Eradication Project Abstract We are seeking to expand the Tuberculosis Eradication Program with the sole aim of helping the individuals with tuberculosis within the region by providing an outpatient healthcare program to most of the people. The objective is that in six months the cases of tuberculosis should have been reduced by half. The Tuberculosis Eradication Program is founded on the latest screening machines so that the accuracy of the results can be high. We also strive to provide the best medication such as vaccines to the patients so that we can do away with the bacteria completely. Funding amounting to $50, 608 is invited for us to acquire modern machines for screening and also appropriate and effective medication. This will also help in improving both the software and hardware of our systems for the good of the patients. Statement of Need Texas has about 100, 000 people with tuberculosis. This increases the chances of other healthy individuals contracting the disease since it is an 2016-10-23T02:11:02.183-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tuberculosis-Grant-Proposal-35236.aspx Oratorical Leaders and the Magic of Stereotypes Name: Institution: Course: Instructor: Due Date: Oratorical Leaders and the Magic of Stereotypes After thorough research of all the listed speakers and their speeches, my final choice fell between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King. However, I decided to go with Dr. King since I could identify with him more. My decision was due to his emphasis on the freedom of human beings from all races rather than a single race. Certainly, from his ‘I have a dream’ speech, Martin Luther King portrayed an honest and absolute love for humanity. As a person, he not only strived to fight for the African-American civil rights but also their freedom and right to experience equal treatment as their white-American counterparts. When I evaluate his work, I agree with his views and beliefs that all human beings should receive judgment only from their character substance instead of their skin color (King, 2004). In agreement with Anderson (2015), all Dr. King wanted was a perfect America where justice, equality, individualism, and communal celebration are prioritized. Owing to these qualities, I saw Dr. Martin Luther King as a viable leader to research on because I think he has the ability to command nations and individuals towards political freedom, emancipation, and economic success. I managed to both watch and read Dr. King’s speech several times due to the passion and intensity at which he lays down his beliefs. Through his voice, one is able to gather how important the concept of freedom and equality is to him and the greater America. Additionally, one is able to pick up Dr. King’s dedicated and sincere love for America and its occupants. Therefore, this proves that he was more intent in ensuring that African Americans enjoy a life that lacks discrimination by voicing out their concerns to the larger American community. In the speech, it is apparent that the African American individuals struggling to fight for their civil rights serve as the in-group. These individuals desired to experience humane treatment and enjoy similar rights to those bestowed on the white-American individuals. Accordingly, Dr. King saw it as his duty to inform the government on this inequality and discrimination without employing violence. Furthermore, he wanted to indicate the amount of anger that African-Americans have concerning the issue suggesting that it was time for the oppression era to conclude. However, Dr. King managed to enforce love attributes into this 2016-08-17T00:23:22.993-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Oratorical-Leaders-and-the-Magic-of-Stereotypes-35212.aspx Motivos, finalidades y causas de las consultas en cartomancia Palabras clave: cartomancia, tarot, arcanos, oráculo, consulta, tirada, consultante, cartomante, tarotista, insatisfacción, malestar, incertidumbre. Fecha: Año 2016. Santiago de Chile. Autor: Ismael Berroeta, diplomado en Estudios Holísticos, Academia Syncronia; diplomado en la Univ. de Louvain (Louvain-la–neuve); ingeniero agrónomo de la Univ. de Chile. Título original: Somos Sufridos. Por qué consultamos el Tarot. Investigación empírica. Extensión: 165 p. tamaño carta. Anexos: El original incluye anexos con 42 gráficos, 20 cuadros estadísticos y descripción de decenas de casos. Edición in extenso en la WEB: www.academia.edu; es.scribd.com/; http://www.4shared.com; http://es.slideshare.net/; http://myslide.es/; issuu.com. Resumen: El estudio comienza por presentar una descripción sumaria del mazo cartomántico conocido con la denominación de tarot, esquematiza los contenidos gráficos de una carta en general, describe los usos dados a esta baraja desde el punto de vista ilustrado y erudito, para luego explicar que, siendo un instrumento simbólico, es posible “traducir” sus significados o mensajes tal como se puede leer o traducir cualquier idioma. En el capítulo segundo se recuerda que una de las principales motivaciones para recurrir a este instrumento es la demanda de las personas por saber la verdad mediante una guía alternativa, dado que son insuficientes la información y los recursos mentales o lógicos para obtener respuesta. Se hace referencia a la antigüedad de las mancias así como a la puesta en duda de su verdad, también desde tiempo inmemorial. Se reconoce el aporte de C. G. Jung en realizar un estudio sistemático de algunas mancias, entre ellas el tarot, y de atribuir un mecanismo psíquico para explicar en parte su funcionamiento. Luego, el estudio –con la misión de aportar un nuevo enfoque al uso de la cartomancia- declara que se tuvo en cuenta un total de 911 casos de consulta oracular, de los cuales se escogieron 752, por entender que respondían culturalmente a un universo que compartía cierta homogeneidad y se consideraba representativo de la sociedad chilena (años 2005-2012). Las consultas fueron recibidas en una casilla electrónica y fueron respondidas por el mismo medio, compartiendo las condiciones de anonimato, de gratuidad y de responsabilidad (pues se envió respuesta respaldada por escrito). La entrega de los datos personales por los consultantes fue completamente voluntaria. La información sistematizada y procesada permitió describir las características de la población o universo, sus sexos, opciones de género, edades, actividades (71 actividades específicas y 11 grupos ocupacionales), estado civil y la correlación de éste con el sexo y la relación de pareja real, así como el grado de fidelidad/infidelidad en las relaciones. Las preguntas recibidas permitieron agrupar los motivos o temas principales que impulsaron a los consultantes, reconociéndose un total 2016-06-16T15:15:43.287-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Motivos-finalidades-y-causas-de-las-consultas-en-cartomancia-35203.aspx Russia Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres. It is situated both in Europe and 2016-06-13T05:29:15.703-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Russia-35201.aspx Gender changes has become a well debated issue in the last two to three decades as it has impacted the customary happenings of the world. The researcher plans to specifically touch on the impact it has had on the males and children of Southfield, St. Elizabeth. Gender, as a social construct, became popular during the 1960’s and 70’s and refers to a set of qualities and behaviours expected from males and females by society, that is, those differences which are socially constructed and subject to change. Almost all feminists agree that “gender” is socially constructed. This means that gender roles are learnt rather than determined by biology, and the most significant institution where we are socialised into our appropriate roles and norms of behaviour is the family. Weber (1947) had defined patriarchy as women and younger men being dominated by older men, who were heads of household. While a few feminist theorists have followed the Weberian definition, the more common approach has been to discard the generation difference among men and define patriarchy as a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women. Sociologists argues that while white feminists have traditionally conceptualised the family and home as a major source of women’s oppression, this is not the same among Blacks where the family is not a major source of women’s subordination. Indeed, increasingly it has become a major site of their liberation as more and more become heads of households. Sommerville (2000), a liberal feminist, recognises that significant progress has been made in both public and private life for women. She stated that the system is more likely to accept small policy changes, while it would resist revolutionary change and argues that this is an ethnocentric view – it reflects the experiences of mainly white, middle class women. Against Liberal Feminism, they argue that paid work has not been ‘liberating’. Instead women have acquired the ‘dual burden’ of paid work and unpaid housework and the family remains patriarchal – men benefit from women’s paid earnings and their domestic labour. Some Radical Feminists go further arguing that women suffer from the ‘triple shift’ where they have to do paid work, domestic work and ‘emotion work’ – being expected to take on the emotional burden of caring for children. Caribbean countries were colonized by typically patriarchal European nations and after Emancipation women were named ‘second class citizens’. 2016-05-22T23:42:33.97-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Changing-Gender-roles-in-the-caribbean-35194.aspx CARTOMANCIA Bases operativas: filosóficas, psicológicas y metafísicas Ismael Berroeta - Santiago de Chile - - abril de 2007 - - mayo 2011 - Agradecimientos El autor dirige sus agradecimientos a Jaime Hales D., abogado, tarotista, escritor y poeta, director de la Academia Syncronia, de Santiago de Chile. Perfil Ismael Berroeta es el seudónimo registrado de Antonio Muñoz Pereira. Titulado de Ingeniero Agrónomo en 1979 en la Univ. De Chile. Diplomado en 1988 en Pedologie Tropicale en la Univ. Catholique de Louvain (Louvain La Neuve). Diplomado en 2004 en Estudios Holísticos en la Academia Syncronia, Santiago de Chile. Practicante de la consulta de tarot, profesor de cartomancia, colaborador de la revista SOMOS (Santiago de Chile). Autor de “SOMOS SUFRIDOS. Por qué consultamos el tarot. Estudio empírico” (2016). CONTENIDO 1. MODERNIDAD Y DESACRALIZACIÓN DEL MUNDO 1.1 Operación y especulación 1.2 Deificación de la ciencia moderna 1.3 Era moderna y gnosis numeral 1.4 Cartomancia contemporánea y gnosis numeral 2. NUMEROLOGÍA PITAGÓRICA 2.1 Importancia del pitagorismo. 2.2 Filosofía del pitagorismo. 2.3 Doctrina pitagórica de los números. 2.4 Significado pitagórico de los números El Uno, la Ley de la Unidad, su símbolo es el 1. El Dos, la díada, el binario, La Ley de la Oposición, su símbolo es el 2. El Tres, la tríada, el ternario, la Ley de la Relación, su símbolo es el 3. El Cuatro, el cuaternario, la Ley de la Reciprocidad, su símbolo es el 4. El Cinco, el quinario, el pentagrama, la Ley de la Forma, su símbolo es el 5. El Seis, el senario, el hexagrama, la Ley de la Armonía, su símbolo es el 6. El Siete, el septenario, La Ley de la Evolución Cósmica, su símbolo es el 7. El Ocho, el octonario, La Ley de la Evolución Superior, su símbolo es el 8. El Nueve, el novenario, la Ley de la Integración Universal, su símbolo es el 9. El Diez, la década, la Ley de la Unidad Trascendental, su símbolo es el 10. 3. NUMEROLOGÍA HERMÉTICA 3.1 La figura de Hermes 3.2 Fuentes herméticas. 3.3 Los conceptos esenciales del hermetismo. 3.4 Los números como símbolos herméticos 3.5 Haciendo operativo el hermetismo. 4. NUMEROLOGÍA ALQUÍMICA 4.1 En busca de la Alquimia. 4.2 Los conceptos esenciales de la Alquimia y su relación con el símbolo número. 4.3 Alquimia mística y numerología 4.4 ¿Será posible hacer operativa la alquimia? 5. EL TAROT Y LOS NÚMEROS 5.1 Cuestiones generales 5.2 Escarbando en las raíces. 5.3 Tarot y Alquimia 5.4 Las figuras simbólicas y los números en el Tarot. 5.5 El “juego” del Tarot 6. EL LENGUAJE OCULTO DE LOS ARCANOS MAYORES. El Uno en el Tarot: El Mago El Dos en el Tarot: La Sacerdotisa El Tres en el Tarot: La Emperatriz El Cuatro 2016-03-24T19:56:26.34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cartomancia-Bases-operativas-filosóficas,-psiclógicas-y-metafísicas-35186.aspx SOMOS SUFRIDOS ¿Por qué consultamos el Tarot? Estudio empírico Ismael Berroeta Santiago de Chile 2016 2 Agradecimientos El autor dirige sus agradecimientos a Karin Baeza V., Socióloga, titulada Univ. de Chile, Master Territoires, espaces, sociétés, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, París. Miembro del Centro Integración Ingeniería y Sociedad, Facultad de Ingeniería – USACH. Perfil Ismael Berroeta es el seudónimo registrado de Antonio Muñoz Pereira. Titulado de Ingeniero Agrónomo en 1979 en la Univ. De Chile. Diplomado en 1988 en Pedologie Tropicale en la Univ. Catholique de Louvain (Louvain La Neuve). Diplomado en 2004 en Estudios Holísticos en la Academia Syncronia, Santiago de Chile. Practicante de la consulta de tarot, profesor de cartomancia, colaborador de la revista SOMOS (Santiago de Chile). 3 CONTENIDO Agradecimientos 2 Resumen 6 Capítulo 1 El Tarot: un juego que atraviesa los siglos 10 Capítulo 2 La urgencia de conocer la verdad 19 Capítulo 3 Un grupo de consultantes representativo de la sociedad chilena 27 Los datos disponibles Los consultantes chilenos y sus actividades. Edades y género Estado civil y grupo etario Estado civil y sexo Estado civil y relación de pareja real Relación de pareja e infidelidad Capítulo 4 Los motivos o temas de los consultantes 36 El motivo y la pregunta Cantidad de motivos Preponderancia de motivos Relevancia de motivos Las secuencias prioritarias de motivos Capítulo 5 Los objetivos buscados por los consultantes 43 Identificación de objetivos Relevancia de objetivos Relación entre motivos y objetivos El motivo “amor” y sus objetivos específicos El motivo “trabajo” y sus objetivos específicos El motivo “familia” y sus objetivos específicos El motivo “economía” y sus objetivos específicos El motivo “salud” y sus objetivos específicos El motivo “desorden de ansiedad” y sus objetivos específicos 4 El motivo “símbolos” y sus objetivos específicos Capítulo 6 Reacción de los consultantes a las respuestas del oráculo 52 Los consultantes son agradecidos Los consultantes opinan Capítulo 7 Felicidad, malestar, situación crítica 56 Capítulo 8 Describiendo las situaciones críticas de los consultantes 62 Los consultantes expresan sus situaciones críticas Las personas en “situación crítica” son agradecidas La relación entre los “motivos” y los “descriptores” de las situaciones críticas Capítulo 9. Causas inmediatas de las situaciones críticas descritas 66 a) Causas inmediatas de la situación de tensión b) Causas inmediatas de la situación de dolor c) Causas inmediatas de la situación de expectativa dolorosa d) Causas inmediatas de la situación de desorientación e) Causas inmediatas de la situación de desconcierto f) Causas inmediatas de la situación de inseguridad g) Causas inmediatas de la situación de soledad h) Causas inmediatas de la situación de desesperación i) Causas inmediatas de la situación de incertidumbre j) Causas inmediatas de la situación de impotencia k) Causas inmediatas de la situación de descontrol l) Causas inmediatas de la situación de abatimiento Capítulo 10. Preponderancia de las causas inmediatas 73 Capítulo 11. La relación 2016-03-22T08:36:51.587-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Motivos-y-finalidades-por-las-cuales-los-consultantes-recurren-al-tarot-35183.aspx 2016-03-18T12:38:16.763-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Estudio-empírico-sobre-las-causas-para-consultar-a-la-cartomancia-35182.aspx Jantay Shawn Arnston English 101 02/20/2016 Depression Disorder Depression is a state of mind and mood that affects significantly causing a feeling that goes far beyond sadness or feeling upset. Some of its results are reflected in the change of behavior, physical health, thoughts, mood, and feelings. Loss of the ability to feel pleasure in activities that were formerly enjoyable and the engaging in social relationships drops. People with depression face the loss of energy and the ability to be productive at school and work. While depression can lead to severe problems in the life of an individual, there is still hope for the affected person. A combination of self-care approaches, medications, and therapeutic interventions can be used to treat depression even the worst of cases. Depression comes in three major disorders namely; major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. Major depression occurs when there is a combination of symptoms that interfere with the individual's ability to sleep, work, study and eat. Major depression may only occur once although commonly several episodes may be experienced during the individual's lifetime. In cases of chronic major depression, treatment might be taken for the whole lifetime of the individual. Dysthymia is a less severe depression that involves long-lasting symptoms that are not very much disabling despite preventing the working usually of the affected. The other type of depression is the bipolar disorder which is characterized by cycling mood changes. It has also been stated that when in the high cycle, the affected person may be overactive, overtalkative and with lots of energy. This kind of depression has been said to have severe effects on the thinking capacity of an individual, judgment of an individual, and the social behavior in a way, which causes a lot of problems and embarrassments too. On this, it has for instance been found out that an individual found to be suffering from manic phase usually has a feeling of elation and grand schemes, which are often characterized by bad decision-making. Signs and symptoms of depression vary by age, individual temperament and the length of the symptoms. Some symptoms cannot be easily attached to depression. Depression can have some symptoms classified as either being: physical, mood, behavioral or psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms occur when an individual is observed to; lack energy, increase or decrease his sleep hours, have somatic complaints, feel emotionally numb, increase or decrease their appetite, and feel irritable. Mood symptoms occur when 2016-02-29T13:21:51.033-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Depression-Disorder-35180.aspx Love is a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection to pleasure . It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment. It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another". It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals. Non-Western traditions have also distinguished variants or symbioses of these states. This diversity of uses and meanings combined with the complexity of the feelings involved makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts. Love may be understood as a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species. Definitions The word "love" can have a variety of related but distinct meanings in different contexts. Many other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts that in English are denoted as "love"; one example is the plurality of Greek words for "love" which includes agape and eros. Cultural differences in conceptualizing love thus doubly impede the establishment of a universal definition. Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn't love . Love as a general expression of positive sentiment is commonly contrasted with hate ; as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is sometimes contrasted with friendship, although the word love is often applied to close friendships. Abstractly discussed love usually refers to an experience one person feels for another. Love often involves caring for or identifying with a person or thing, including oneself . In addition to cross-cultural differences in understanding love, ideas about love have also changed greatly over time. Some historians date modern conceptions of romantic love to courtly Europe during or after the Middle Ages, although the prior existence of romantic attachments is attested by ancient love poetry. The complex and abstract nature of love often reduces discourse of love to a thought-terminating cliché. Several common proverbs regard love, from Virgil's 2016-02-08T12:29:47.463-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Love-35174.aspx The Implication of Hiked Interest Rates Name of Student Institutional Affiliation The Implication of Hiked Interest Rates The whole of this year has been characterized by speculations regarding the Federal Service’s Open Market Committee’s annunciation of the new increase in interest rates. The last time they were increased was in 2006, when the country’s economy was on course. As a rule, such changes occur at the time when the country’s economy is in a good state, with a steady increase in the employment rate and more jobs are being created. Economists have been quick to speculate that there was no better a time than this. For instance, there has been an increase in annual gross income for employees with more job creation opportunities. Before the end of this week, the Federal Reserve is expected to announce the new interest rates (Soergel, 2015). As any other economic tendency, it comes with its advantages and shortcomings to the saver and the borrower alike. Thus, it is necessary to analyze the effect such changes will have on various sectors of economy. Impact on the Stock Market The interest rate is the cost paid by the banks when borrowing from the Federal Reserve (Mueller, n.d.). It controls inflation by regulating the amount of money circulating in the economy and thus stabilizing the effects of demand and supply. Thus, the organization determines the amount of money available for goods on the market at any time (Mueller, n.d.). Consequently, an increase in Federal Reserve lending rate has a ripple effect on banks, which spreads to businesses and individuals as well (Mueller, n.d.). Most American retirees depend on interest rates on their savings (which are very low) for survival, and a hike in banking lending rates will be favorable (Soergel, 2015). However, the good news does not favor banks and brings with it the unintended consequences that cannot be avoided by the Federal Reserve. The organization is going to introduce the hiked interest rates gradually, but many banks will do the same quite fast since they already have a large reserve and do not need to increase interest rates to add more resources 2016-02-05T00:49:06.943-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/THE-IMPLICATION-OF-HIKED-RATES-35169.aspx 2016-02-05T00:04:39.467-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/intrinsic-value-35166.aspx Compare and contrast how studies of sex work and undocumented migrant labour use the concept of risk. Discuss how this helps social scientists understand shadow work. This essay will define the concept of risk in the context of shadow work. Case studies on shadow workers will be used as examples to support this understanding. The main body of this essay will identify similarities between Burnett and Whyte's (2011) study into the issue of risk in undocumented migrant labour and Teela Sanders et al (2005) study into indoor sex workers. The essay will also provide the different aspects on the concept of risk between the two theories. Illegal migrant workers come to the UK to work for many reasons; unemployment, sending money to their families, joining family or fleeing persecution. their illegal status makes them especially vulnerable to exploitation by unprincipled employers. The undocumented workers often live in fear of being found out, moving from place to place to avoid discovery by the immigration authorities. The undocumented workers' vulnerability is structured by a political combination of labour market instruction as well as immigration control. This has terrible consequences for illegal migrants as workers are exposed to extreme thresholds of risk of injury or even death. . (Mythen, 2012, ) The independent newspaper report (2010) into the Morecombe Bay cockle pickers disaster illustrated how migrant shadow work is characterized by exploitation, vulnerability and risk. The report exposed the appalling working conditions the cockle pickers experienced. The workers were managed by gang masters who exploited, mistreated with no thought for their safety, generated profits through the use of these undocumented workers with their cheap labour. (The Independent, 2010, cited in Mythen 2012, pg.104). Burnett and Whyte's (2011) case study into the risks of shadow work illustrates how fourteen undocumented workers interviewed experienced all sorts of physical, emotional and personal risks . The qualitative research highlighted that they were often badly treated, overworked, underpaid and treated as second class citizens. . 'I have a family and if I have a choice between working illegally or starving my family I will work illegal .... '(Mythen, 2012, p. 121). Many were forced to work in dangerous conditions with no safety training or equipment being regularly exposed to serious risk and harm. Burnett and Whyte reported that nine out of the 14 interviewees had suffered a serious 2016-01-29T05:21:06.893-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-contrast-how-studies-of-sex-work-and-undocumented-migrant-labour-use-the-concept-of-risk_-Discuss-how-this-helps-social-scientists-understand-shadow-work_-35164.aspx Richunda Davis 1-17-2016 Psychology( Module 11) 1.Statistics are often used to describe and interpret the results of intelligence testing. They often contain the three measures of central tendency.(mean, median, mode) The mean, which is used to describe an entire set of observations with a single value representing the center of the data, is used as a standard reference point. For example, five people are waitning in line for the roller coaster. The waiting time(in minutes) of the five waiting are 3, 2, 4, 1, and 2. The mean waiting time is 3+2+4+1+2/5 = 12/5 = 2.4 minutes/ The mean is 2.4 minutes. The median is a little different. The median is used to desribe an entire set of observations with a single value representing the center of the data. The median is the middle number. It is determined by ranking the data and finding observation number [N+1] / 2. If there is an even number of observations, the median is the value midway between that of the observation numbers N / 2 AND [N / 2] +1. For example, the median in this set of observations is 13. For this ordered data the median is 13. That is, 50% of the values are less than or equal to 13, and 50% of the values are greater than or equal to 13. (Ordered data- 7 9 10 12 13 14 17 18 19.) The mode is the value that occurs most frequently in a set of observations. Mode may be used with mean and median to give an overall characterization of your data distribution. While the mean and the median require a calculation, the mode is found simply by counting the numder of times each value occurs in a data set. Usually it's easier to understand the distribution after the mode is identified. There are also cases when there is more than one mode. This simply indicates that you've actually sampled from a mixed population. The three central tendencys can be used to describe skewed distributions, which are always shown on graphs. A distribution is said to be skewed when the data points cluster more toward one side of the scale than the other, creating a curve that isn't symmetrical. In other words, the right and the left side of the distribution are shaped differently from each other. There are normallly two types of skewed distribution, positive and negative distribution. A distribution is postively 2016-01-17T21:10:18.763-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychology-101-35162.aspx Abstract: This paper has assessed the pattern of migration, socio-economic benefit and impact of the remittances earned by the expatriate workers. It has analyzed the use of remittance and contribution to the national economy of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, remittance is one of the most important economic variables in recent times as it helps in balancing balance of payments, increasing foreign exchange reserves, enhancing national savings and increasing velocity of money. For about two decades remittance has been contributing around 35% of export earning. Remittance has created a new dimension in the economic development of Bangladesh. We have to properly unlock the potentialities of remittances and utilize it properly to make it an indispensable tool of the economic development of Bangladesh. Key words: Remittance, Investment, Balance of payments. Introduction: Bangladesh like other South-Asian countries is in a situation of surplus manpower with a combination of professional, skilled, semi-skilled and less-skilled labor force. Local wage employment cannot absorb the huge low skilled and less educated workforce. This large volume of workforce needs to be engaged in employment to ensure their participation in the economic development of the countries as well to improve their family standard. Migration plays a vital role in the national economy mainly in two major ways; Firstly it reduces unemployment and secondly migration results in remittance flows for the country. The migration has shown steady growth over the year that is favorable to the development of Bangladesh; as inflow of remittance has increased every year. The links between migration and remittances are self evident. Both have a strong co-relation to poverty reduction in home countries. Remittance has become an important aspect for the developing countries like Bangladesh for socioeconomic advancement. Remittance has a significant role to maintain balance of payment and to enrich foreign currency reserve. It also has a great contribution in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. Migration is gradually being considered as the development alternative to the family level of workers particularly the illiterate and un-skilled workforce. Migration from Bangladesh: Migration has become an important livelihood strategy for the people of Bangladesh. It has remarkable positive impact on social development and empowerment through skill transfer and by fostering many community development initiatives. Bangladesh has a long history of international migration. During British rule some people migrated to UK and also USA for trade and higher study. But after independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the flow of migration to other countries also increased. 2015-12-04T13:54:36.45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Remittance,-migration-and-impacts-on-economy-35154.aspx 2015-11-20T08:34:32.127-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/exploraton-of-the-boomerage-effect-in-trade-between-china-and-the-USA-35152.aspx TAMPA, FLORIDA ORGANIZATION 1 The new organization in Tampa, Florida is a very diverse, but an interrelated medical practice for several reasons, mainly through the physicians that have combine together to create this practice. The Obstetrician, and the Gynecologists, along with a Urologist is the three well established physicians that combined together to form this new organization. The relationships that are formed through this group of physicians, and staff are important when detailing vertical and horizontal dimensions. The vertical dimensions of this organization would be the upward and downward channels of communication, decision making and the direction of activities taking place. By employing the appropriate staff for each doctor is important for a smooth and accurate business. The staffing must include the following: the schedulers, a billing department, nursing staff, act. A business manager to keep the business operations and the staff organized is also important in the vertical chain of command. In this case, a liaison is appointed to the medical staff, in which the doctors can depend on to make sure a smooth coordination between the organizations and with the medical building/hospital. The horizontal dimension of this organization is in place to keep each specialist a unit, in the medical building, but also, to be very specific to their different practices. A good example of this would be is the Obstetrician needing a nurse practratal specifically in the practice to ensure that the help that is needed is there. Combining similar doctors is conventily for their patients, but also very important that the division is present so that the organization is in place. Authority and Responsibility relationships that are present within this new organization are obviously apparent through the specialists that are combining together to form a practice. More specifically, the authority is present with the people that is the main purpose, is to give orders and oversee activities. For example, the liaison that tends to the hospital and the doctors, TAMPA, FLORIDA ORGANIZATION 2 as well as the office manager that oversees the staff, and business productions. The responsibility part of this organization is entirely up to the office staff, as well as the doctors to follow close instructions and show that responsibility is very important in a successful business operation. By organizing the office in this way, it will give more responsibility to just a few people that can 2015-05-27T00:24:43.693-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tampa,-Florida-new-organization-35114.aspx 2015-03-24T09:05:56.88-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Determinants-of-Land-Use-Change-in-South-west-Region-of-Bangladesh-35096.aspx Place is generally described by geographical location, however the identity of a place and how it is socially perceived depends on how it has been designed, constructed and by the specific communities that use it and how they do so. The identities of a place may be perceived differently by specific individuals or social groups, resulting in a creation of differences and inequalities between social communities. This essay is in two parts, the first part will examine how places can be a source of social inclusion and exclusion by looking at social identities in detail, including how they are constructed, valued, connected and constantly changing with the moving picture of society with social order, in order to smoothly and successfully form complex personal identities (Taylor, 2009, p.173) The second part of this essay will use The Spectator article to examine how identities may be idealised and imagined to cause discourses and create social exclusion. Places can have identities which evoke positive or negative feelings of belonging, memories and emotions which contribute to personal and social identities. However, places do not only have an identity, but they also play a part in the construction of social identities. Ways in which people, identities and places are connected form a situational identity of an individual or group, which then becomes one of the multiple identities brought together in order to create a complicated personal identity through identification referred to as subjectivity (Taylor, 2009, p. 171).These multiple identities can be group or collective, situated or relational and are often linked to one another. A group or collective identity is formed when a group of people share similarities such as social class or religious beliefs. Relational identities are formed by the relationships between people, such as the identity of being an employee, employer, father or son. Situated identities are created by being ‘in place’, such as when somebody visits a new city they assume the situational identity of a tourist. Association with places form and 2015-02-22T01:29:46.693-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examine-the-argument-that-places-can-be-a-source-of-inclusion-and-exclusion-for-specific-communities_-35087.aspx The way in which individuals form and maintain social lives with others and with the things around them is founded by social ordering; a concept defined as a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce ways of relating and behaving (Wikipedia, accessed on 25th June 2014). This essay will compare and contrast the theories of social ordering suggested by Goffman and Foucault, comparing and contrasting the different concepts of how social order is produced, reproduced and maintained. Both theorists are interested in the links between the individual and the social and seek ways of understanding how and why society interacts the way it does, however they explain these reasons in different ways. The first part of this essay will look at Goffman's view of social order, his concepts and how they help to structure and organise his claims and the second part will compare and contrast Goffman's views with those of Foucault, highlighting the similarities and differences between their claims and concepts. The third part of this essay will look at two examples of social ordering in practise and present the evidence supporting the theories put forward by both social scientists, using a modernist approach shown in the Buchanan model.and a flexible approach shown in the Monderman model. Goffman's concepts of performances and interactional order focus very much on the behaviour of individuals in specific social contexts and how they interact in their everyday lives. In Goffman's view, social behaviour is 'dramaturgical' and he uses the metaphor of a theatrical play to explain his theory, with the claim that people perform roles in specific contexts with individuals behaving like characters in a play, trying to give their best possible performance (Taylor, S. 2009, p. 172). Social interaction and individual behaviour differs with changes in context and the way in which individuals perform and interpret roles involves the use of interactional processes such as body language, eye contact and the use of language to construct social order through rituals and repetitive practices used in everyday activities by people as they live their life. When disorder arises in society order is repaired and reproduced through processes of social interaction, which lead to innovations in the order of social life and creates social change. Goffman gathered evidence to support his claims 2015-02-22T01:23:12.03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-contrast-two-social-science-views-about-the-ordering-of-social-life_-35086.aspx In order to address this claim, I will firstly look at how the state is defined, perceived and presented in everyday before discussing legitimacy, how it is claimed through practices and the relationships between the institutions acting on its behalf and on behalf of its people. The following part of this essay will explore the connection between state legitimacy and democracy and how conflict and social inequalities may lead to the legitimacy of the state being contested, using the Northern Ireland and the United Nation's reaction to piracy in Somalia to as examples of how state legitimacy may be challenged. The final part of this essay surmises the arguments and evidence both for and against the claim. According to Georgina Blakeley and Michael Saward, ‘the state is: an idea based on shared expectations about the ordering of social life; a set of organisations; and a set of practices’ (Blakeley and Saward, 2009, p. 355). The state is perceived by society through methods of political order, whereby the absence of social conflict and disorder is governed by sets of institutions and services which seek to shape and regulate social order (Blakeley and Saward, 2009, p. 352). Blakeley and Saward portray the state as an abstract concept made up of various parts that provides institutional political order and is present everywhere, through institutions such as schools and hospitals, people such as teachers and police officers, practices such as driving within the legal speed limits and discourses such as the media. The state's authority to rule its citizens largely depends on the belief in its legitimacy. 'A state that is (believe to be or accepted) as legitimate is more likely to succeed in its constant tasks of political ordering than a state that is perceived as illegitimate' (Blakeley and Saward, 2009, p. 366). Evidence of the state regulating order in everyday life is seen in various activities narrated in 'Jill's story', such as the use of childcare and the Post Office and also in the payment of tax (Blakeley 2015-02-22T01:17:08.247-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examine-and-assess-the-claim-that-the-contemporary-state-is-in-a-constant-process-of-legitimation-Blakeley-and-Saward,-2009,-p_-371-_-35085.aspx THE POWER OF POLITICAL SCIENCE IN BUILDING A BETTER WORLD Political science encompasses a wide range. For a conceptual purpose, political science is concerned with the systematic and analysis of politics. It attempts to understand the political behavior of individuals, groups and societies, the factors and conditions that affects political actors, political events and institutions. Historically, political science is a relatively young academic field of study in many countries around the world. The subject was first taught in American universities in the 1850s. The teaching of the subject grew speedily and spread too in many European and African universities. In the past, political science was taught as part of other academic disciplines like; Law, History, Philosophy and Economics. Today, it is taught as a distinct discipline and academic subject. Those who study and teach the subject have formed professional association in various countries, such as the Nigerian Political Science Association (APSA), American Political Science Association (APSA), and the African Association of Political Science (AAPS). The study of political science is both humanistic and scientific, that is why Aristotle called it the “Queen of the sciences”. Political science research involves highly scientific and rigorous attempts to understand human behavior and world events. The study prepares one not only for employment, but for life as an informed citizen ready to participate in political activities within interest groups or political parties; related to community organization and political advocacy, or even service as an elected or appointed official. The major in political science offers a solid undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences. Such study prepares the graduate for a variety of careers by emphasizing the acquisition of skill in communication and analysis; and by encouraging independent thought, tolerance and informed interest in current affairs. The ability to define a problem and contribute to its solution is highly valued in a variety of employment settings, as the individual who took the course are skilled in writing research and evaluation. The knowledge of Political science is an excellent preparation for the flexibility required in this modern employment market. More so, it provides background for careers in government at the local, state, and National level; international organizations, political campaigns, interest groups, and lobbying organizations, journalism, business and law. However, from the above myriad of analysis one can vividly say that, the power of political science in building a better world cannot be overemphasized. This is because the study 2014-12-28T13:15:43.917-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/TH-POWER-OF-POLITICAL-SCIENCE-IN-BUILDING-A-BETTER-WORLD-35075.aspx Thomas Aquinas was an Italian priest who were the pioneers of theological teachings and famous for his Eucharistic hymns in church. Aquinas is a distinguished saint honored by the Catholic Church for his contributions in natural reasoning and several teachings of theology. The papal that undergo training go through his teachings and the pope of the Catholic Church has ordained him as the doctor of the church and the greatest philosopher and theologician of all times. Aquinas was considered a philosopher by his mates but he strongly objected and criticized other philosophers who pagans that the missed the massive wisdom available in the Christian revelations. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who formulated the theory of ethical deontology (Fagothey) Kant was a strong proponent of enlightenment rationalism which basically meant that for something to be good , it must be from a good will so and that the action just follows the will and the moral law. He also perpetrated the principle of universibility and strongly believed that for an action to be permissible by the society, must equally apply to all the people in the same manner and not biased. He also believed in the theories of perfect and imperfect duty and advocated that the perfect duty should an obvious thing in the eyes of the humanity such as committing murder is a criminal to both the mind and the soul and can be referred as a perfect duty. Imperfect duty such charitable works can be substantiated and simply bases on different to people to church the act as good or bad therefore, it is an imperfect duty to the human race. (McInerny) Several philosophers have criticized the theories of Kant terming it inconclusive and prescriptive. They argue that Kant was biased in his theories and was influenced by other past philosophers and even his parents. The catholic church has seriously criticized his laws terming as a disregard of the Christian values ,ethic and beliefs and that he changed the ethics into virtues of the day today living. Aquinas as he was a priest was a strong proponent of the Christian ethics a compared to Kent who was more of rationalism and imperialism. He believed that the human mindset is driven by the natural law that dictates that the acts of virtue is the caused through inquiry of reason and that any act is conducive for well living so long as 2014-12-01T21:45:51.203-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/kant-and-aquinas-35067.aspx 2014-11-29T07:33:37.393-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-psychology-perspective-towards-a-case-study-35066.aspx ALTHEA MC KENZIE ROBINSON 225 Vandalia Ave. # 2014-11-25T19:49:16.553-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cognitivism-in-Psychology-35065.aspx THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS Name Institution Subject Date Attestation I appreciate the nature of plagiarism, and I am mindful of the University’s course of action on this. I, therefore, attest that this dissertation reports unique work by me throughout my University project. Signature (you must delete this, then sign and date this page) Date Acknowledgements I would like to pass my sincerest gratitude to my parents who shaped me to the person I am today. Moreover, I would like to acknowledge my supervisor and other academic staff that provided unconditional guidance and support. I would, furthermore, like to recognize my fellow students and colleagues who helped me in the facilitation of this project in various ways. In addition, I would also like to acknowledge the general public for allowing me to conduct my interviews. Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge my friends for providing their time, cooperation and tolerance before and after the study. Abstract The mentally ill offenders have arguably been viewed on an exclusionary spectrum continuum. The public has adopted punitive attitudes that have significantly hampered with restorative measures. The aim of this study is to examine the perception of the public regarding the mentally ill offenders. The sample investigated comprised of 3 most dominant ethnic groups. Out of 200 respondents there was an average of 30 participants for each main category of ethnicities. The ages were grouped according to the participant’s age range and then evaluated according to the participant’s perception on offenders who are mentally ill. The study focuses on the articles on the mentally ill, especially those that explore the public's perception of mentally ill offenders. This dissertation employed both primary and secondary approaches to retrieve relevant information. As a result, the literature review presents suitable information regarding the subject and structural frameworks. The overview provided outline a collection of salient published documents that examine the issues regarding the mentally ill offenders in the context of justice and the judicial systems. It stood noted as one of the principle findings that a significant percentage of the offenders who enter the criminal justice systems, more often than not, have mental disorders. It is worth noting that a similar situation is 2014-06-27T02:36:26.623-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/perception-of-mentally-ill-offenders-35041.aspx Multiple Intelligences Theory: The Best Approach to Understanding Intelligence Intelligence is a key aspect in education as emphasized by how academic aptitude is usually determined by students’ Intelligence Quotient (IQ), which are measured using psychometric tests. According to Gardner and Hatch (1989), these measures stress only on linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities, while ignoring others. It is therefore, important to understand how intelligence is defined, as unitary or multiple intelligences, so that schools can develop effective teaching approaches for each ability displayed by students. Although many research (Duncan et al., 2000; Penke et al., 2012) has supported Spearman’s two-factor theory of intelligence, it has some flaws. General intelligence is usually measured by psychometric tests to generate an IQ score. However, these tests access academic abilities (Gardner & Hatch, 1989) which cannot be equated with practical intelligence used to solve daily problems or emotional intelligence. General intelligence is also unable to explain intelligence in different cultural settings as what is considered intelligent in Western cultures may not be viewed the same way in other cultures (Nisbett & Masuda, 2003). The existence of savants (Snyder et al, 2003) with low intelligence but an extreme giftedness is unexplainable by a unitary intelligence. On the contrary, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is able to explain this phenomenon. The presence of an exceptional talent suggests a specific form of intelligence. Lastly, advances in technology such as the emergence of positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has enabled neuroscientists to discover specific parts of the brain that control functions related to different intelligences (Rodd, Davis, & Johnsrude, 2005; Samson & Zatorre, 1994). Therefore, this essay will argue that intelligence is multifaceted, using Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. The two-factor theory of intelligence was proposed by Spearman (1904), which consists the g-factor and s-factors. The g-factor is frequently measured through psychometric tests, generating an IQ score that represents an individual’s overall cognitive ability. However, this theory has several flaws. Psychometric tests only measure academic abilities like arithmetic and linguistic skills (Gardner & Hatch, 1989) which are not applicable to practical and emotional intelligence. Abilities such as solving daily problems and controlling one’s own emotions are not measured. Therefore, the g-factor, which is distinguished through comparison of various intelligence tests, is not a true representation of intelligence. It is also based on factor analysis, which depends on the interpretations of the analysts. Due to analysts’ 2014-05-01T20:17:28.393-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Multiple-Intelligences-Theory-The-Best-Approach-to-Understanding-Intelligence-35026.aspx Multiple Intelligences Theory: The Best Approach to Understanding Intelligence Intelligence is a key aspect in education as emphasized by how academic aptitude is usually determined by students’ Intelligence Quotient (IQ), which are measured using psychometric tests. According to Gardner and Hatch (1989), these measures stress only on linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities, while ignoring others. It is therefore, important to understand how intelligence is defined, as unitary or multiple intelligences, so that schools can develop effective teaching approaches for each ability displayed by students. Although many research (Duncan et al., 2000; Penke et al., 2012) has supported Spearman’s two-factor theory of intelligence, it has some flaws. General intelligence is usually measured by psychometric tests to generate an IQ score. However, these tests access academic abilities (Gardner & Hatch, 1989) which cannot be equated with practical intelligence used to solve daily problems or emotional intelligence. General intelligence is also unable to explain intelligence in different cultural settings as what is considered intelligent in Western cultures may not be viewed the same way in other cultures (Nisbett & Masuda, 2003). The existence of savants (Snyder et al, 2003) with low intelligence but an extreme giftedness is unexplainable by a unitary intelligence. On the contrary, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is able to explain this phenomenon. The presence of an exceptional talent suggests a specific form of intelligence. Lastly, advances in technology such as the emergence of positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has enabled neuroscientists to discover specific parts of the brain that control functions related to different intelligences (Rodd, Davis, & Johnsrude, 2005; Samson & Zatorre, 1994). Therefore, this essay will argue that intelligence is multifaceted, using Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. The two-factor theory of intelligence was proposed by Spearman (1904), which consists the g-factor and s-factors. The g-factor is frequently measured through psychometric tests, generating an IQ score that represents an individual’s overall cognitive ability. However, this theory has several flaws. Psychometric tests only measure academic abilities like arithmetic and linguistic skills (Gardner & Hatch, 1989) which are not applicable to practical and emotional intelligence. Abilities such as solving daily problems and controlling one’s own emotions are not measured. Therefore, the g-factor, which is distinguished through comparison of various intelligence tests, is not a true representation of intelligence. It is also based on factor analysis, which depends on the interpretations of the analysts. Due to analysts’ 2014-05-01T20:10:27.793-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Multiple-Intelligences-Theory-The-Best-Approach-to-Understanding-Intelligence-35025.aspx Zaleka Tate Math Essay for Exam Archimedes Archimedes was born in 287 BC in Syracuse, a Greek seaport colony in Sicily. Archimedes’ father was Phidias. He was an astronomer; this is all we know about his father and we learn this from Archimedes’ work, The Sandreckoner. Archimedes was educated in Alexandria, Egypt. Archimedes’ friend, Heracleides, wrote a biography about him, but this work was lost. Some authors report that he visited Egypt and there invented a tool known as Archimedes' screw. This is a pump, still used today in parts of the world. It is likely that, when he was a young man, Archimedes studied with the followers of Euclid. Many of his ideas seem to correspond with the mathematics developed there. This speculation is much more certain because he sent his results to Alexandria with personal messages. He considered Conon of Samos, one of the greatest achieving mathematicians at Alexandria, both for his abilities as a mathematician and he also respected him as a close friend. Archimedes spent most of his life in Sicily, near Syracuse except for his journeys to Alexandria. He never held any public office but he was faithful to his lifetime of research and experiment. At times, Archimedes became so immersed in his work that he would forget to eat. He used every surface available to do his work on, including oil on his skin to ashes from a fire. Many of Archimedes’ discoveries were put to the test during the Roman conquest of Sicily. His mechanical tools and machines were used, including the legendary catapult which he is credited for making. This was all for the protection of Syracuse. Despite the use of Archimedes’ inventions, Syracuse was captured during the Second Punic war. A Roman soldier who found him drawing a mathematical diagram in the sand killed Archimedes. It is said that Archimedes was so preoccupied in his calculation that he simply said to the intruder, "Do not disturb my diagrams." Aside from the fame Archimedes earned from his work on the Archimedes’ screw, he was also famous for his relationship with the king, Hiero. Hiero often had complicated problems to solve, and Archimedes solved them causing surprise among the town. The king often challenged Archimedes. One of Archimedes’ quotes is “Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth.” The king took him up on this challenge and invited him to move 2014-03-27T23:59:31.733-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Fiscal-Policy-on-Private-Business-Investment-35012.aspx An analysis of the Policy Cycle The policy cycle model (also referred to as ‘stages heuristic’ by Sabatier, 1999) is mainly concerned with the organisation and creation of public policy. The policy making approach is conceptualised as a process that provides a logical structure and sequence to the complex world of policy making. This essay begins with a description of the use of the policy cycle in policy formulation and examines the structure of the cycle as discussed in (Cairney 2012, p.32-35). The essay then provides an analysis of the effectiveness of the policy cycle approach in meeting the objectives of policy makers. Through this analysis it will be shown that the policy cycle model does not entirely achieve its stated aims and objectives. The policy cycle approach views the formulating of policy as a fluid but logical sequence that provides policy makers a systematic problem solving process. (Cairney, 2011) Whilst the description of stages will vary from model to model, common stages that appear throughout many policy cycle models include agenda setting, decision-making, implementation and evaluation (p.33) Agenda setting stage is where problems that require government attention are identified and defined. At the decision making stage (or policy formulation) legislation is usually enacted. At the implementation stage, policies are translated into action, and, finally at the evaluation stage, the outcome of polices are assessed. (p33) The stages are mostly presented in a circular format suggesting an uninterrupted flow from one stage of the cycle to the other. (Bridgman & Davis, 2003). The rationale for observing each stage separately is that decisions made at each stage affects the outcome of other stages, even when they occur simultaneously. It also suggests involvement of interest groups whose input, it is argued provides a democratic way to decision making and hypothetically, encourages greater participation and commitment at the implementation stage (p.36) Although Cairney describes this approach as “the best known way to organize the study of policy making and the best way to introduce a discussion of policy theories”(p.32), it is also considered as overly simplistic, and lacking a causal theoretical basis. (p 41) As various authors cited by Cairney (2011) have argued, the stages often do not follow the logical progression. Furthermore it tends to suggest a “top down” and elitist bias, which fails to acknowledge or monitor success where it matters (p.41). It also fails to explain how difficult decisions are made (Bridgman 2014-03-13T07:30:42.047-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Analysis-of-the-Policy-cycle-35009.aspx An Anthropological Analysis of Child Prostitution in Northeastern Thailand Among the Asian country of Thailand, there exists a region unlike the rest of the nation. This northeastern part of the country, known as the Isan culture, bares significant differentiation in many ways, sadly because it is the most impoverished and far behind in development when compared to the rest of the country. It is situated next to the neighboring country of Laos so many aspects of its culture are borrowed and incorporated into it. Among these adapted elements is their appreciation for spicy cuisine, their dress and festivities as well as the Buddhist ideals shared by much of Asian cultures. Languages vary among some of the small tribal populations in the region although an adaptation of the Lao language is the most prominent throughout the rest of the public. However standard Thai is spoken and understood by essentially everyone much like English is the default language in the United States. Unfortunately, this region faces several harsh factors that inhibit it from reaching the development levels achieved by the rest of Thailand, the first being its economy. With slight above twenty percent of the region’s economy devoted to agriculture, natural factors are preventing the growth of the economy. Droughts, flooding, make up the harsh environment that makes agriculture non-profitable. Continual overuse of soil has rendered soil virtually unusable and as a result, the economy has hit rock bottom. Progress has slowly begun with the economy shifting from an agricultural emphasis to a more favorable and sustainable service and trade style, but the road that catches the Isan up with the rest of Thailand remains long. The region’s unstable economy has in turn had its fair share of negative impact on the day to day lives of people of the Isan culture. A lack of money and resources affects the entire superstructure of this culture and prevent it from advancing so severely, that it actually almost borders around the point of regression. Underfunding has led to some the highest levels of illiteracy in all of Thailand as well as some of the smallest doctor per capita ratios. Much of the workforce has since had to move to central Thailand in search of better more stable employment. With much of the labor force working and spending outside of the parameters of the culture, the economy only suffers even more. The Isan are roughly a ninety 2013-12-11T21:09:27.97-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Child-Prostitution-Among-the-Isan-People-of-Northeastern-Thailand-34993.aspx An Anthropological Analysis of Child Prostitution in Northeastern Thailand Among the Asian country of Thailand, there exists a region unlike the rest of the nation. This northeastern part of the country, known as the Isan culture, bares significant differentiation in many ways, sadly because it is the most impoverished and far behind in development when compared to the rest of the country. It is situated next to the neighboring country of Laos so many aspects of its culture are borrowed and incorporated into it. Among these adapted elements is their appreciation for spicy cuisine, their dress and festivities as well as the Buddhist ideals shared by much of Asian cultures. Languages vary among some of the small tribal populations in the region although an adaptation of the Lao language is the most prominent throughout the rest of the public. However standard Thai is spoken and understood by essentially everyone much like English is the default language in the United States. Unfortunately, this region faces several harsh factors that inhibit it from reaching the development levels achieved by the rest of Thailand, the first being its economy. With slight above twenty percent of the region’s economy devoted to agriculture, natural factors are preventing the growth of the economy. Droughts, flooding, make up the harsh environment that makes agriculture non-profitable. Continual overuse of soil has rendered soil virtually unusable and as a result, the economy has hit rock bottom. Progress has slowly begun with the economy shifting from an agricultural emphasis to a more favorable and sustainable service and trade style, but the road that catches the Isan up with the rest of Thailand remains long. The region’s unstable economy has in turn had its fair share of negative impact on the day to day lives of people of the Isan culture. A lack of money and resources affects the entire superstructure of this culture and prevent it from advancing so severely, that it actually almost borders around the point of regression. Underfunding has led to some the highest levels of illiteracy in all of Thailand as well as some of the smallest doctor per capita ratios. Much of the workforce has since had to move to central Thailand in search of better more stable employment. With much of the labor force working and spending outside of the parameters of the culture, the economy only suffers even more. The Isan are roughly a ninety 2013-12-04T21:15:43.747-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anthropological-Analysis-of-Child-Prostitution-Among-the-Isan-People-of-Northeastern-Thailand-34990.aspx Eric Bishop Mr. Berry 1B Honors English 10 29 Oct 2013 My limbs were shaking uncontrollably; my gait was ever erratic; I stealthily departed from the group of my peers. We had all consumed the newly popular “magic mushrooms” together. My very soul was penetrated with questions of how my friends could still move, converse and interact so unflappably with each other. I had become animalistic as if I had transformed into a lone wolf; I felt a capriciously inexorable urge to howl to the moon. The brown of my eyes had completely vanished, conquered by fully dilated pupils. My brain’s optometric extension had now been replaced by the deepest, darkest holes capable of seeing all of the concealed mysteries withheld in remotest of hiding places in the universe. A note of denial that the mushrooms were functioning properly would be just that, denial. I was in an entirely separate reality; the proverbial trip was underway. Sunlight’s reflection on the scenery shimmered like the restroom in a Mr. Clean advertisement. To quantify it in numerical terms, I would have to say everything looked fifteen to twenty percent deeper and more naturalistically beautiful than it had in the morning. My retina’s scanned the landscape for a spot appropriate for a certain composing of myself and I set off airily towards my new habitat. Grasses, small shrubs and dazzling wild flowers grew in every place where they could find a crack in the stone. The terrain was made up of rocks with, to the naked eye, every shape, size and multi-colored hue. Sedimentary minerals compiled down south of vast glacier deposits of indefatigable freezes persisting for thousands of years. I was intrigued by their restrained, stoic presence. The rocky shore of an unnamed lake stretched approximately three quarters of a mile in until intersecting the tree line. The towering alpine’s stood staunchly like Green Beret daring me to pass them by and enter their heavily protected interior wooded areas. Stumbling inebriated from crag to promontory with all the grace of a newly delivered foal I stopped to crouch lightly, adjacent to a tiny cedar. This modicum of asylum sheltered me from the wind and I was comforted by the tenacity of minuscule creation of God’s green earth. Skeletons of his ancestral consanguine lay sprawled out surrounding us on all sides, but we decided not to discuss his ineluctable fate. This seemed to be a fine spot 2013-10-30T13:37:11.273-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/From-hope-to-audacity-Bresxinski-34982.aspx Peer pressure affects many people worldwide. When faced with it, it’s easy to give in. However, there is one question: How much pressure can one take, and what scenarios hold the most pressure? It’s an uncommon subject, but it greatly affects the way we live. Of all the pressure in the world, some situations hold the most, and are more common. “Peer Pressure: n. social pressure by members of one’s peer group to take a certain action, adopts certain values, or otherwise conforms in order to be accepted.” (Houghton Miffin, 153) As the definition states, peer pressure can change someone into somebody else, just so that person feels accepted. This occurs in four different forms: Rejection, Unspoken, Initiation, and insulting. (Safeteens relationships, 2) Rejection pressure occurs when a group of people, or even a single person, deny someone because of who they are or what they do. Normally, this submits the subject to pressure, causing them to want to change, just to be a part of a group. Rejection pressure can turn someone from a kind, likeable person, to a mean, troublemaking jerk. This is the easiest form of pressure to give in to because of the initial reward of being in a group or having new friends. (Safeteens, 2) Unspoken pressure is the most common form that occurs, yet most of the time you don’t even know that it’s happening. As an example, say a brand new pair of shoes comes out, and everyone is buying those shoes. Everyone except you. Nobody has said anything, but you still feel pressured to buy the shoes just to fit in with your peers. Even if you didn’t want the shoes in the first place, the pressure of it all forces you to buy them. This is unspoken pressure. It is hard to avoid, and you may not realize it, but it happens every day. (Safeteens relationships, 2) Initiation pressure is easily the most dangerous form of peer pressure to encounter. Similar to rejection, initiation occurs when someone wants to join a club or gang, but the people in it put the subject through a series of tasks and favors, usually resulting in harm and trouble. Groups like fraternities and street gangs require these tasks, just to prove that the subject is worthy of 2013-09-17T08:42:16.983-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Peer-Pressure-and-How-it-Affects-Us-34966.aspx The Mental Disorder Munchausen by Proxy Candace Wegrzynowski Owens Community College Abstract Presented is an overview of the condition factitious disorder by proxy, also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MBP). The paper begins by highlighting the definitions of the disorder and the etiology. It then analyzes relevant symptoms of the perpetrator and the reasons they abuse the child. Some methods of abuse are highlighted and the social psychiatric illness common in the perpetrator. A discussion of the complex issues facing the medical professionals when faced with confronting the perpetrator and the decision to take the child away from the parent is also included. The prognosis for the perpetrator does not look very good and further research into treatment for family’s needs to be done. The popular solution employed now is to remove the child. Family reunification is not common because the recidivism is very high as in most child abuse cases. Munchausen by proxy is a term used to describe a behavior pattern where a caregiver, usually a parent, deliberately fabricates and perpetrates an illness upon a child. Experts explain that Munchausen was first used in the 1950s to describe a psychological disorder where patients fake or bring about illness in order to play the role of a sick patient. In 1977 MBP was first used to describe a severe form of child abuse where children are treated unnecessarily for medical conditions that are faked by their caregivers.(Shaw 2008) It may be hard to imagine a parent injuring their child or deliberately doing things to cause an illness but these perpetrators are very real. Experts do not know all the reasons these parents develop MBP. They do not have a formal mental illness but they usually do have a personality disorder and may have spent some time during their life in an institution. Experts also feel they may act superior to professionals and even have a medical background. They enjoy being the center of attention and like making illness the center of their life. They are difficult to evaluate psychologically as they often do not stay in therapy. (Hallstrom) These parents with MBP do not seek treatment on their own and it is very difficult to get them to be honest about their problems. Experts tell us that patients with MBP display pathological lying 2013-06-24T21:48:44.297-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Munchhausen-By-Proxy-34901.aspx Candace Wegrzynowski Final research paper 04/17/2013 The American Indians have been abused by White conquers for centuries. An entire ethnic group has been almost completely annihilated by the dominate society and in more modern times mocked and misunderstood. Researchers have shown that from colonial times to modern times, Whites have seen Native Americans as primitive savages, blood thirsty warriors, childlike, children of Satan, squaws, exotic, otherworldly and doomed. Not long ago a dualistic version of Indians became the norm. Indians came to be seen as evil or good and this dividing into two types of Indians came to construct how Americans today see Indians. (Lacroix, 2011 p. 3-4) An entire race of people is simplistically and unfairly put into either all good or all bad categories. History has shown that the early Europeans that followed Columbus no more understood the Native Americans than the Indians understood the destruction of their entire way of life was soon coming. (Schaefer, 2012 p. 149) The White settlers saw the Indians as pagan inferior beings that needed to be taught how to be civilized and eventually forced to assimilate in to White Society. In the early nineteenth century Quaker and missionary reformers tried new ways to 'civilize' the Indians. They were uncomfortable with extermination policies used by the US government and began to put together ideas of assimilation. (Landis 1996) The reformers tried a new experiment — reservation boarding schools. According to history, to assist the missionaries, Congress created the Civilization Fund, an annual appropriation of ten thousand dollars to pay for this forced assimilation of the Indians. (Adams 1995 p. 6) Researchers explain the Quakers plan that students would live all week in the boarding schools that were built a little farther away from the reservations; but as time went by, the families simply moved their tee pees closer to the schools. (Landis 1996) To the religious groups at the time it was very important to convert the Indians to the Christian doctrines and White culture. The cultural heritage of the Native people was of no importance to the dominate society. In an article featured in the Indian Country Diaries on PBS.org (2006), in the 1870’s Army Lt. Richard Henry Pratt, who coined the phrase “Kill the Indian save the man” played a huge role in this 2013-06-24T21:42:13.7-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Indians-34900.aspx My philosophical statement on classroom management is that children make a choice to learn. I believe that students learn better when they choose to learn. Self-discovery impacts a child more than a presentation of information. I also believe that positive and negative reinforcement can motivate a child to learn and behave in a manner that is conducive for learning. Knowing myself and understanding the needs of my students is the most important part of having a successful classroom management plan. As an individual, I understand that I like to have a determined order and organization to everything. Therefore, in my classroom, I will provide space and materials needed for students in an isolated location that are separate from my desk and my personal supplies. My main desk will be located in the back of the room, but will only be used for administrative functions. I will use a small table or cabinet top for my teaching needs in the front of the classroom. There will be bookshelves on the sides of the room. They will contain textbooks and supplemental readings for throughout the semester. Because peer acceptance is important to middle-school aged children, the desks will be set up a modified cluster with four students (see Appendix 1). This will allow easy assembling for group projects as well as allow student interaction. Procedures in my classroom will be posted on the wall in a visible area where students can see them and refer to them if necessary. Procedures will be covered the first two or three days of class until all students fully understand and can be held accountable for following them. I believe in delegating leadership when necessary and students want to feel trusted and responsible. Therefore, every two weeks my students will have a different seating assignment. The person on the inside aisle of every row will be the “row leader” for those two weeks. Row leaders will be in charge of getting handouts for their entire row, collecting homework/assignments to bring to me, taking attendance for their row on a piece of paper to hand in to me, and any other tasks that I deem necessary. As a student, I hated how every paper I wrote in pencil would fade or smear onto my other papers. For this reason, I will require blue or black ink pens at all times. I will provide each student with two at the 2013-04-24T17:24:23.533-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classroom-Management-Plan-34865.aspx Located in central Italy, Vatican City State also known globally as the Holy See was founded on February 11, 1929 after the signing of the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy. The treaty was ratified on June 7, 1929. It was on that date that the Holy See became its own nation with its own laws and government different to that of the country of Italy. The Vatican is a sovereign state with diplomatic relations with one-hundred and eighty countries. The head of Vatican City State is the Pope, who is currently Pope Francis. He alone makes all decisions for Vatican City, its eight hundred and thirty-two residents, and one hundred and nine acres. The Vatican Secretariat of State’s office is given the task of dealing with the day-to-day operation of Vatican City. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is the Secretary of State, appointed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in two thousand and seven. In most recent times Vatican City has peaked interest among people of all faiths, nationalities, beliefs, and cultures. In a bank where only Vatican City State employees and workers can hold an account, why so much scandal? The torrine of Niccolo V is the seat for the Istituto per le Opere Religione or the Institute for Religious Works. It is here that all decisions are made concerning the Vatican and its financial affairs; it has also been the center for scandal and questioning. A bank riddled with scandal in the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, 2 men who committed suicide, $1.4 billion dollars missing, twelve investigations ….yet no one knows anything of what happened, not even the Pope who oversees the bank. Founded in 1942 to invest and increase the funds given to the Holy See for the religious works, the I.O.R. is much like any other international commercial bank. It accepts savings and checking accounts; transfer funds in and out of the Vatican and makes investments: (Stoler, 1982:2). While the Vatican bank seems like other banks there are a few interesting differences, depositors must be connected to the Vatican such as members of the curia, the Pope even has his own personal account and the residents who have everyday dealings in the Vatican can have an account in the Vatican bank. No one else! The assets of the bank are modest by international standards. The scandal really threatened the I.O.R. and Italian investigators believe 2013-04-07T12:20:42.19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Vatican-Bank-Scandal-34851.aspx 2013-03-25T19:04:29.517-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/L_A_-Riots-34838.aspx What Psychology is to Me After taking Psychology 1000, psychology means much more to me than it did prior to taking the class. At the beginning of the semester, I was asked to define the word psychology, and the best definition I could muster was simply the study of the mind and how it works. After examining the large realm of the science of psychology I now realize that this definition was quite incomplete. My initial definition simply covered the branch of psychology known as cognitive psychology, and this is only one of many areas that are actually included under the title psychology. Many psychologists focus on more quantitative aspects than the function of the human mind. There are several different areas that are more easily researched than that of the brain's functionality. An example would be behavioral psychology in which the focus is put on observing behavior rather than on the processes going on inside the brain that invoke the subject's behavior. This is just one of the many examples that illustrate this point, and that makes developing a working definition of the term psychology extremely difficult to attain. The range of topics that are considered psychology is very surprising to a newcomer in the field. Everything from determining which parts of the brain are responsible for controlling certain senses to analyzing the influence of society on behavior and development is considered "psychology". So it is obvious that my original definition was extremely limited, but it has now been vastly broadened. In addition to recognizing the broad range of topics that psychology covers, I also realized that there is large number of different occupations a person trained in psychology can hold. My original idea was that a psychologist was a person who dealt only with psychoanalysis, and I would imagine that this is a common misconception. The possible career fields for a psychologist is much greater than I had imagined it to be, it includes everything from school counselors to psychiatrists to sensation and perception researchers. Each different area of psychology has many differences from all of the other areas, but the origins of these areas enables them all to fall under the incredibly large topic of psychology. Although psychology is a very large topic this immense field is still relatively young and has many unopened doors. 2013-02-20T06:03:40.423-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Psychology-Is-To-Me-34803.aspx With the spread of literacy ,libraries have become essential for the learning. Public instruction is making rapid progress everywhere in Canada.it is no more the privilege of the well-to-do only to acquire knowledge as it was no so very long ago. there are school and colleges in almost very part f the country.21st century dawns with a sure promise to be 2013-02-18T23:50:15.873-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/libraries-34802.aspx The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the abundance of people suffering from the it, we are still waiting for definite explanations for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its’ victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because bipolar disorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in the quest for explanations of its causes and treatment. Affective disorders are characterized by a smorgasbord of symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can become feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include anhedonia, disturbances in sleep and appetite, psycomoter retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty thinking, indecision, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). The manic episodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and often reckless or irresponsible behavior (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Bipolar affective disorder affects approximately one percent of the population (approximately three million people) in the United States. It is presented by both males and females. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of mania and depression. These episodes may alternate with profound depressions characterized by a pervasive sadness, almost inability to move, hopelessness, and disturbances in appetite, sleep, in concentrations and driving. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed if an episode of mania occurs whether depression has been diagnosed or not (Goodwin, Guze, 1989, p 11). Most commonly, individuals with manic episodes experience a period of depression. Symptoms include elated, expansive, or irritable mood, hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, inflated self esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and excessive involvement in reckless activities (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Rarest symptoms were periods of loss of all interest and retardation or agitation (Weisman, 1991). As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA) has demonstrated, bipolar disorder can create substantial developmental delays, marital and family disruptions, occupational setbacks, and financial disasters. This devastating disease causes disruptions of families, loss of jobs and millions 2013-02-11T07:26:40.033-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bipolar-Disorder-34791.aspx Trade between countries and within the countries fall within the fundamental principles of economics (Taylor & Weerapana, 2011, p. 739) and it also forms an indispensible part in our day to day life delivering us utility, demand realization of the customers and profit maximization of the producers. Abolition of barter system and introduction of money has neutralized the concept of double coincidence of wants and indivisibility problem with exchange of goods and services becoming rationalistic and mutually beneficial (Ganßmann, 2012, p.16). In trade paradigm between different countries, the government plays various roles with interventions like fixing tariffs, quotas and various restrictions applied to the exchange of goods and services. In this connection the concept of free trade carries a significant importance. The concept of free trade or unrestricted trade is generally attributed to the exchange of goods and services where zero intervention policies are implemented by the government of the trading partners (Hajela, 2009, p.55). Now in free trade there are several benefits and cost emergence within businesses (Hajela, 2009, p.55). To name a few, benefits of free trade includes investment in sectors which enjoy comparative advantage, maximization of output, lower consumer prices and so on and costs of free trade are monopoly development, unbalanced development dumping and so on (Lusztig, 1996, p.2). In this paper, the target will be assess critically assess the argument that benefits from free trade are outweighed by costs that is generated by it for the business. First of all we will focus on the formal definition of free trade as proposed by the father of economics, Adam Smith. 2. Definition of free trade Father of economics, Adam Smith who is a staunch supporter of free trade defines it as “that system of commercial policy which draws no distinction between domestic and foreign commodities and therefore neither imposes additional burdens on the latter nor grants any special favors to the former” (Dewett, 2007, p. 439). This definition is crucial as it gives a signal that it is an unbiased policy which reflects the agents engaged in free trade are not vested with undue advantage and operate in an indifferent situation. Now we will explore the benefits and costs of free trade in a little detail. 3. Benefits and costs analysis- Theoretical approach 3.1 Potential benefits One of the most obvious benefits of free trade is mutual advantage which benefits all the parties engaged in free 2013-01-09T05:05:57.34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/-Benefits-of-Free-Trade-Are-Outweighed-by-the-Cost-it-Generate-For-Business-34773.aspx 2012-11-11T16:58:27.75-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Perception-and-construction-of-truth-Assimilation-of-Social-Information-during-crisis-in-comparison-to-paranoid-schizophrenia-34740.aspx 2012-11-11T16:39:09.293-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mental-processes-in-perceiving-and-constructing-truth-filtering-social-events-and-logic-during-crisis-34739.aspx Every society has spoken and unspoken rules that members of the populace respect. Social norms are apart of our every day life and we follow these unspoken guidelines with out thinking twice about it. When you assigned me this challenge to violate an informal norm, it took me some time to think of the right norm to break. After running through a couple ideas, I decided that making out with your boyfriend in the middle of a store is definitely against our societies customs. Besides on a high school campus, I hardly ever see people so wrapped up in each other. Literally. Public displays of affection attract a variety of emotions from onlookers. Some people find it annoying, inappropriate or even get jealous. While others feel that it signifies that you care about your partner. I thought that it would be really amusing to find a store or place of business that people visit because they have to, not because they’re just hanging out. Since the bank, which was our first choice, was closed on Sunday, my boyfriend Nick came up with the idea to make out in the jewelry store at Bella Terra. I brought my brother with me not to watch us do it, but because I needed a third set of eyes to watch our audiences reactions since we were going to be a little busy. While we were walking to the store I could tell Nick was pretty uncomfortable. It was understandable; we were about to put on an interesting show. Personally, I was kind of excited. How often do you get to break an informal norm like this and get points for it in class? So we all walked into the store and Nick and I started “browsing” the jewelry. To set the scene, we were the only people in this store besides the four sales associates behind the counters. All eyes were on us. Immediately the girl behind the counter starts trying to show us stuff and following us around. We told her that we were looking for our one-year anniversary present. After trying on some bracelets that were so not my style, I had to keep myself from giggling when I was acting interested in them, I turned to Nick and said, “You are just the sweetest guy for buying me jewelry!” and planted a big kiss on his lips. That got the 2012-09-16T19:51:14.51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Informal-Norm-Violation-34646.aspx Topic: Nowadays, the proportion of the crimes committed by youngsters is on the rise. Discuss causes to this problem and suggest solution. In recent years, statistics regrettably show that many youngsters are committing crimes. This phenomenon is so-called juvenile delinquency, and has increasingly become a subject of intense debate as to what triggers and how to solve it. As far as I can tell, it is the parents who are inattentive to their offspring and the fact that children are increasingly exposing themselves to much more violence than ever before due to the prevalence of the Internet and video game containing violent scenes. In combating juvenile delinquency, one should underscore two remedies: parents are to pay close heed to their children’s behavior and limit or even prevent them from being exposed to violence. The first point to note is that one of the most common factors which feature in forming the children’s character traits is the direct influence from parents. However, nowadays, many parents show an inclination to turn a blind eye to their children due to working all the time. Worse still, when their pressure of work multiplies, they are inevitably abuse their children to release stress. It incontestably has a negative impact on youngsters’ life, in particular their daily behavior. Step by step, they are highly susceptible to employ violence when getting angry, which is rooted in the indifference and reflection of their parents. Frequent exposure to violence also has a bearing on moulding youngsters’ personality. Unarguably, in the era of technical advances, people, especially youngsters easily get many opportunities to attach the Internet, particularly video games. Playing video games is inherently deemed as a good way to relax but becoming an addict to it is truly undesired. Many video games attract youngsters’ attention by inhesitantly adding violent or even sex scenes. These bad effects gradually obsess the youngsters to such an extent that they would end up subconsciously using them sooner or later. Besides the negligence from parents, frequent exposure to violence are the main reasons for juvenile delinquency such as theft, rape, murder, and so forth, which urgently calls for drastic measure taken by parents. First of all, the criminal behavior of the children should be recognized as a wake-up call to the parents so that they are to decide to spend more time together with their children to control, reeducate and correct the mistakes made by 2012-07-22T11:44:56.913-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cause-and-Effect-Essay-on-Youth-Committing-Crimes-on-the-Rise-34602.aspx OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME (SIWES) The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a skill training program, designed to expose and prepare student in institutions of higher learning for the industrial work situation they are likely to meet after graduation. The scheme is also meant to familiarize students with work methods and exposed them to the needed experience in handling such equipment and machinery that are not available in the educational institutions. It is finance by the federal government and managed by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). Employers of Labour are very important in the effective running of this scheme. They are to absorb a large number of the SIWES students in their various establishments to acquire the practical training. Students are normally attached to identified industries or companies for a period of three months during the long holiday between 200 level and 300 level, prior to this period, the SIWES officer in the SIWES office of the university would have liaised with the various Industries and companies and the ITF office, The students are paid some sustenance allowance which is usually subsidized by industry. In some cases, lecturers from the University pay scheduled visits to the industries to supervise the student work. Each student is given a SIWES Log Book, in this log book are recorded the students activities and experiences in industries, such logbooks have to be countersigned by the student, the University SIWES supervisor and the supervisor form the host industry. Table of content Title Page ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i Report Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ii Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 1.2 Objective --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 Chapter Two: Description of the Establishment of Attachment 2.1 Location and Brief History of Establishment------------------------------------------------4 2.2 Objectives of Establishment --------------------------------------------------------------------5 2.3 Organization Structure (Including Organogram) ------------------------------------------6 2.4 The Various Department/Unit in the Establishment -------------------------------------6 Chapter Three: Works Actually Carried Out 3.1 Technical processing --------------------------------------------------------------------------11 Chapter Four: Continuation of Worked Carried Out 4.1 Current Awareness Service ----------------------------------------------------------------13 4.2 Archives ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 4.3 Accessioning ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 4.4 Experience Gain -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations 5.1 Summary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 5.2 Conclusion and Problems -------------------------------------------------------------------------15 5.3 Recommendation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1:1 Background Training is a key factor in enhancing the efficiency and expertise of the workforce. The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) program prepares students for Labour Markets, and it has become an innovative phenomenon in human resource development and training in Nigeria. The Library Profession, like other professions is dynamic. This dynamism is in response to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With the introduction of ICTs into the field of Library and Information Science (LIS), it has become imperative that LIS 2012-06-05T05:27:41.287-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Student-Industrial-Work-Experience-Scheme_-SIWES-34585.aspx INTRODUCTION Advertising is one of the major promotion tools that are commonly used by marketers to communicate with their various target audiences. It is so commonly used that some use the term interchangeably with marketing. Although this standpoint is erroneous, it is a pointer to the popularity of advertising from societal point of view. With reference to a body of literature Boddewyn (1992) rightly stressed that societal members are bombarded by several millions of different advertisements every year. In fact, it is stated that the average consumer is exposed to about 3000 commercial messages in a day. While such messages could be targeted at a variety of audience depending on the marketing objectives of the advertisers, one area of concern of using this tool which has generated significant attention is the social effect it has on Women. One of the basic assumptions about the media is that the mass media have an important influence on peoples’ lives and sometimes change their beliefs and opinions. This subtle influence or impact of the mass media on the habits of the audience is what is referred to as social effect of the media of which advertisement is a tool. We live in an age inundated with advertising, from commercials on TV to posters on the sides of buses. We see advertisement every time we open a magazine or call up a Web page on the Internet. All that exposure has a significant effect, and the stakes are often more than deciding whether or not to buy a certain product. Women, in particular have suffered some serious psychological blows from the subtle and pervasive effects of advertising aimed at them. This term paper will be looking at the social effect or impact that advertisement is having on women by delineating the overview of what scholars and researchers have said concerning the issue, and also to outline various influences and impacts advertisement has on women as well as prevention measures. This paper argued that media advertises and promotes a very unhealthy trend of extreme dieting and other bad eating habits to women and there after conclude that women need to be sensitized on the impacts and influences it has on them. Overview of the Social Effects Advertisement have on Women Advertisement defined by television, posters, magazines, internet etc and the overall concepts and content they portray, is a huge part of the lives of most women. An American 2012-06-05T03:35:40.44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-effect-of-Advertisement-on-Women-34584.aspx 2012-03-13T09:32:57.9-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-RESEARCH-OF-THE-MIND-34506.aspx Question: Define economic growth and explain why Gross Domestic Product fails to provide an accurate overview of the quality of life of a nation. Economic growth is a positive change in the level of production of goods and services by a country over a certain time period. Nominal growth is defined as economic growth including inflation, while real growth is nominal growth minus inflation. Economic growth is usually brought about by technological innovation and positive external forces. Even though Gross Domestic Product has been employed as a statistical measure of economic development since the 1950’s, it does not qualify as an accurate reflection of a nation’s development status. Gross Domestic Product measures the total market value of all goods and services which have been produced in a country within a specific period of time and, on the per capita level, divides the total value of the economy, or its size, by its population figures. As may be deducted from the foregoing, therefore, it does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, thereby indicating poverty levels and, it does not calculate literacy or gender equality levels, to name a critical few. As a case in point, one may refer to the fact that according to this statistical measure Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates rank 2nd, 4th, and 5th as the most developed countries in the world according to Gross Domestic Product. These countries are not democratic, do not uphold gender equality and have been repeatedly cited by Amnesty International for human rights abuses. This is a clear indication of the extent to which Gross Domestic Product contributes to inaccurate readings of national development status, and indeed, fails to provide an accurate reading of the living standards of those countries. In direct comparison, the United States of America, Great Britain and France, to name a few, are all democratic nations which uphold gender equality. While there are some cases of human rights issues, the level of the problem is not nearly as high as of those in the Middle East. In accordance to the Gross Domestic Product per capita statistical measures, these countries rank as the 7th, 21st, and 25th on the global Gross Domestic Product scale. This is a clear indication of the extent to which Gross Domestic Product contributes to the immaculate reading of the national development status and, indeed, fails to provide an accurate reading of the living standards and quality of 2012-02-11T23:08:18.88-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Defining-Economic-Growth-and-GDP-34471.aspx Critically evaluate the perspective that the current phase of globalization is deepening the economic inequalities between developed and developing countries Globalization is a term that relates to many different political, economical, cultural and ideological processes. In economic terms, it is roughly defined as the free movement of capital, services and goods across international borders. It has enabled western market economies to spread across the globe, which in turn has helped large corporations from those western countries to extend their reach of impact further across the globe than before. It has seen these market economies and corporations increase revenue dramatically, but has the liberalisation of markets and economies benefitted everyone equally? The short answer is no. The UN, in their 2010 Human Development Report, states that “over the past 20 years, the gap between developed and developing countries has continued to widen.” Their evidence to support this claim is as follows: “In 1970 the average income of a country in the top quarter of the world income distribution was 23 times that of a country in the bottom quarter. By 2010 it approached 29 times.” But how much of this is down to globalisation? Pranab Bardhan, in his article “Does globalisation help or hurt the poor” states that “globalization can cause many hardships for the poor in these [developing] countries but it also opens up opportunities which some countries can utilize and others do not, largely depending on their domestic political and economic institutions”. Between 1981 and 2001, the percentage of people living below the international poverty line in sub-Saharan Africa rose from 42% to 46%, but of the 43 countries in that region, 29 experienced civil conflicts during that time. Civil conflicts such as the one in Sudan drive millions of people out of their homes and out of their jobs, forcing them to live in refugee camps and subsequently below the poverty line, and this is not as a result of globalisation. Bardhan suggests that if anything, this has had a negative effect on globalisation “as it scared off many foreign investors and traders”. When TNCs open up factories and manufacturing facilities in developing countries, the perception in the more developed countries is that these factories exploit cheap, local workforces and the working conditions in these “sweatshop” factories are poor. But this perception is only partly true. An Oxfam Report from 2002 contains an interview with Rahana Chaudhuri, a 23 year old mother 2012-02-02T11:24:22.74-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Evaluation-of-Globalization-Economic-Inequalities-is-Spreading-34458.aspx The concept of identity can vary from the very physical, abstract and or logical depending on the primary focal point of discussion. Identity on its own may vary or differ and in some cases bear resemblance. These semblances may be results of biological (genetics), sociological, psychological and physiological dictates etc. In the case of an individual they may just describe the very characteristics by which they are known or identified externally, such as name, passport, bank account, job role, to name a few; whilst in social semblances, identities are fashioned by norms, values, beliefs etc. It is worthy to note that these identities can be shared by more than one individual or entity. The objective of this essay is to illustrate issues that the concept of ‘Identity’ as the product of the relationship between the individual and society poses, in Sociological context. Therefore, the terms Identity, Individual and Society as applied in this essay are defined below for clarity. In this essay, the term; Identity is defined as: the characteristics; or collective aspect of a set of characteristics by which an individual or group of individuals differ from or are similar to a social group (adapted – Simmel (1908). For instance, the Yorubas (West African tribe) have the characteristics of giving distinct facial marks on new born babies to identify them as belonging to the Yoruba tribes. Nigerian Yoruba (NY) tribal marks differ to Ghanaian Yoruba (GY). Therefore, a NY is distinct from a GY, though they both belong to the Yoruba tribe; i.e. the same marks that define them, also serve as boundaries. Jerkin’s (2008) assertion that classification is meaningless outside relationships supports this point. This can definitely define positively or negatively the way an individual’s identity is formed and how they co-relate with the society. Society on the one hand can be classified as the relationship between humans distinguishable from other groups and having a shared character, culture and institution. For centuries, many, including the modern theorists, have toiled with the idea of a core ‘self’, which is viewed as the core entity of an individual, untouched by society. This can be looked at as individualism, people seeing themselves as different or unique due to the assumption that they control their own thinking and personality, and hence, are distinct. However, many sociologists have disputed the existence of a ‘self’ that is unrelated to social processes. George H. Mead’s 2012-01-11T10:14:01.447-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-concept-of-Identity-a-Sociological-Perspective-on-the-Relationship-Between-Individual-and-Society-34418.aspx Anxiety disorder is a condition which affects 1 in 50 people in the UK. In this article: What is anxiety disorder? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Chemist Online can help Advice & Support What is anxiety disorder? If you were to ask most people if they felt anxious from time to time, then they would probably say that they do. But for some people who struggle with a heightened state of anxiety which occurs frequently and can be terrifying as well as debilitating, the term ‘anxiety’ can mean something quite different. In fact, more and more people across the UK are being diagnosed with anxiety disorder. The reasons for this are not yet clear, but many medical professionals and psychologists worldwide suggest that the increase in the number of people being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder could be related to diet and modern lifestyle. There are three main types of anxiety disorder: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – the onset of symptoms which occur as a result of having developed GAD can be triggered by a wide range of situations, issues, environment and events, rather than just one. Affecting both the body and the mind, the sudden onset of an anxiety attack can leave the sufferer in an almost paralysed state. The symptoms, therefore, are not only in the mild range (worry, unease, slight distress…), but also severe. People with GAD are also prone to fretting over things that may or may not occur. The scale of these worries and fears can range from the being anxious about a bus not arriving on time, to abject terror over the possible loss of a job. Panic Disorder (panic attacks) – these are random episodes of intense fear and anxiety. The sufferer experiences a sudden rush of emotional and physical symptoms which come without any obvious reason or warning. Although everyone experiences anxiety and panic during their lifetimes, particularly when faced with dangerous or stressful situations, panic attacks are different: they can occur without any apparent trigger and also cause anxiety in-between attacks due to their unpredictable nature. The attacks can recur and become regular, often for no apparent reason, and for some people can occur several times per week. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterised by a combination of obsessive thoughts and compulsive acts – a repetitive ritual an individual has to perform a specific number of times. An example of this may be a hygiene ritual: the repeated washing 2011-12-20T05:13:55.747-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anxiety-Disorder-34400.aspx When should we trust our senses? Sense perception is the active, selective and interpretive process of recording or becoming conscious of the external world. It is the channel of communication between the outside world and us. Therefore it is an important dimension of our understanding of the world. Much of what human beings acquire from the world around us is perceived by our senses; Sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. They receive and, together with rationality, inevitably process and interpret every bit of information. Hence, most of our perception of the ultimately unattainable reality depends crucially on the nature of our sense organs, since they are the ones that essentially provide a channel of communication between our insides and the world outside. Common sense realism holds the philosophy that perception is a passive and relatively straightforward process of which results in an accurate picture of reality. Primarily, the world is how we see, hear, touch, smell and touch it, but perception is selective: we do not -and cannot- notice everything in a given environment. As human beings, we do not hear every existing sound nor do we see every light ray: if we did, our world would certainly be much noisier and perhaps much redder, since it would be in that way that we would perceive infrared rays. Thus, this essay will discuss how the five senses work and whether or not we should trust them to give us truth using these knowledge issues. 1. Is seeing believing? 2. How is truth defined, and how do we know whether what we perceive is the truth? In person, I believe we should trust our senses to a certain extent. We trust our senses more than we realize. They keep us going smoothly, avoiding accidents, allowing us to navigate around each day, and keeping us alive. However, our perception is limited, therefore in situations that require intellect and reason, we shouldn’t just accept things as they are, but accept the possibility that whatever perception we may have may be wrong. Therefore, we cannot always trust our senses to give us truth. Our senses work well to give us truth on simple tasks that do not require much work. In the morning after we wake up, most people take a shower. Senses easily play roles here; our sense of touch enables us to regulate the temperature of the shower to fit our preferences, we test the water usually 2011-12-08T15:25:53.417-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sense-Perception-When-should-we-trust-our-senses-34379.aspx Monetary policy During transition the economy of Albania has been quite a surprise for many people. After the destruction of communist regime its economy managed to have a recognizable economic growth during 1991-1992 and even a rising GDP and a falling inflation in conjunction with serious market reforms. In 1997 though, there was a tough social and political period which had its effects on the Albanian economy, because during this time the pyramidal schemes in which most of the population put their savings, collapsed. Even though having passed this period, Albanian economy did manage to enjoy afterward a constant economic growth even low inflation rates. In order to keep the beat with this stabilization method, the need of monetary policy is of crucial necessity. Thus monetary policy is important not just to keep a stable interest rate but also the balance of money supply and prices. As mentioned before after the collapse of communisms it was obvious that the Albanian economy not only was in a case of hyperinflation and destabilization of markets but also in an extreme budgetary deficit. In 1993 the main objective of Albanian monetary policy seemed to be money growth supported by a fiscal policy and the objective of Central Bank to eliminate the deficit, by a tight credit policy. A two-tier banking system was also introduced during this period. At the beginning of 1996 some licenses on private banking activity were issued to several foreign banks. This measure taken not only secured a consolidation of banking system but also allowed the usage of indirect instrument of money control. New private banks encouraged an inter-bank competition which is important in an economy. These methods taken by the Central Bank constantly helped the market. Till 2000, we can say that the transmission method used by Bank of Albania was by using indirect instruments to stable the economy, but afterwards the use of direct instruments was to be used, mostly the method of inflation targeting It was mentioned before that from 1991 to 2000 Bank of Albania was directing the economy by implying indirect instruments of monetary policy to control and stable the markets. Four channels that operate in market economies are through: interest rates; credit ceilings; exchange rate; and inflation expectations. After 2000 the direct instruments were implied. All in all we can say that the Albanian economy has moved over the last 13 years from almost complete isolation to relative 2011-12-08T10:23:14.607-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Monetary-Policy-in-Albania-34378.aspx “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." In 1923, this statement was admitted to Congress under the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution granting equality between men and women under the law. If the Era was passed, it would have made unconstitutional any laws that grant one sex different rights than the other. However, in the 1970s, the Era was not passed, and therefore did not become law. The idea for an equal rights amendment first became acknowledged in the early part of the twentieth century. In 1916, Alice Paul founded the National Women's party (NWP), a political party dedicated to establishing equal rights for women. Traditionally, women were viewed as weaker and inferior to men. The purpose of the ERA was to prohibit any person from acting on this belief. Alice Paul viewed that equality under the law was the foundation essential to full equality for women. In November of 1922, the NWP voted to work for a federal amendment that could guarantee women's equal rights regardless of legislatures' indecisions. The NWP had 400 women lobbying for equality. Despite strong opposition by some women and men, the NWP introduced and Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1923. In order to become law, the amendment needed a two-thirds vote in both houses of the congress of the United States, or a supporting petition of two-thirds of the state legislatures. Then the amendment would have required ratification by three-fourths of the states. However, it failed to get the two-thirds majority required to move onto the states for approval. The proposed amendment also failed in following sessions until 1972, when it won a majority vote in Congress. The main objectives of the women's movement included equal pay for equal work, federal support for day-care centers, recognition of lesbian rights, continued legalization of abortion, and the focus of serious attention on the problems of rape, wife and child beating, and discrimination against older and minority women. The ERA would have addressed all of these issues if it were passed. Had it been adopted, the ERA would have resolved the paradox of an oppressed majority, by adding to the Constitution a provision 2011-11-04T06:30:31.087-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bill-of-Rights-How-many-do-we-have-34305.aspx The Research Methods of Psychology Psychology is a study that is used in many fields of study and practice. Today it has evolved to a research based multidisciplinary machine. Its foundation is mainly based on five methods of research: Naturalistic observation, Survey, Case Study, Correlation Design, and Experimental. In this paper, I am going to explain each of these methods. Maybe this will help explain the foundation that Psychology is built on. The first method of research is Naturalistic Observation. In this method the researcher will observe their subject in the natural habitat. However, they have to be careful not to interfere. This method is best to research the natural reactions of a subject to stimuli in its environment. The only drawbacks are that this method can take a long time, and the sought after stimuli and response may never occur. The second method is the survey method. In this method the researcher questions a pool pf people about their beliefs and attitudes toward a subject or question. It is imperative in this method to have a representative sample. Which is a group of people who represent all the major qualities of the group of people the researcher is questioning. The researchers questioning must also be unbiased and easy to understand, therefore choosing wording carefully is extremely important. The third method is a case study. In this method the researcher obtains extensive information about a subject to learn about its behavior. This method is very useful when researching the rare and bizarre. A great example would be rare disorders in society. This method necessitates a impeccable attention to detail, and can be a tedious process. It does however, find out more about the research subject than all the other methods. The fourth method is Correlation Design. In this method the researcher takes two instances and looks at their relationship. Correlations can be positive or negative. Positive means that the value in one goes up the same happens to the other, and negative means that when one instance occurs the other occurs less frequently. These relationships can be misleading, and the result can not be certain that there are only two variables. Therefore this method is most commonly used with other methods. The fifth method is the Experimental Method. In this method the researcher manipulates 2011-11-01T19:05:34.9-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Five-Types-of-Psychological-Research-34281.aspx The word “Waltz” originates from the German word, “walzen,” which means to roll, turn or to glide (Waltz, par. 2). Indeed, the waltz’s beauty lies in its motion, as partners glide across the floor in time with the music, flowing with an ease that is not only attractive, but powerful. It is an elegant dance that evolved a quicker pace when the Viennese Waltz became popular in the 1830s – a dance which still continues today. Both the Modern Waltz and the Viennese Waltz can be studied and found being performed in ballrooms across the world. In this paper, I shall first discuss the history of the waltz, including the emergence of the Viennese version. This version will demand the majority of the paper, as I will address the various aspects associated with the Viennese, including economic, social and political circumstances involved from the years 1890-1925. I will also discuss the visual art and music of the Strauss-Waltz – another term for the Viennese. And lastly, I will briefly speak about the waltz of today. Introducing the Waltz The first official waltz antedates to the seventeenth-century, when the Hapsburg court in Austria could be found gliding across ballrooms. The national pride of the dance can be found in the fact that a precursor, the weller, was performed by the peasantry of Austria and Bavaria long before the seventeenth-century (Waltz, par. 3). It has been a part of Austria’s social climate for quite some time, uniting communities and providing individuals with a joyous outlet, despite circumstance. By the eighteenth-century, the dance that had brought Austrian peasants so much joy and diversion was making its way through society. Three-quarter rhythm had found a home and would soon spread throughout the world, inspiring millions to learn the fabled dance. It should be noted that the dance was originally performed as part of a group, but eventually evolved into the independent, partner dance that we know and enjoy today (Waltz, par. 4). Socially, the waltz marked a significant change in perspective, dividing one generation from the other. Critics of the dance included dance masters, who were concerned that the waltz would infringe on their profession since it could be learned quite easily. The interest in it would take away from the other courtly dances, which were far more difficult, requiring further 2011-10-31T22:29:22.46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Waltz-34273.aspx One of the unfortunate side effects of the modern media age is that many people spend more time in front of television sets or computers than they do with other humans. In the most extreme cases, this has led to a phenomenon known as the “parasocial relationship.” In a broad sense, the parasocial relationship involves the direct interaction between a media viewer and media characters. More precisely, the term has often been applied to describe a type of psychological problem in which the viewer believes that the media character is actually speaking with them (Horton & Wohl, 1956). In exploring the nature of this problem as well as its roots, it becomes apparent that a variety of factors come into play in generating parasocial relationships. Above all else, this disturbing modern phenomenon is attributable to a combination of developmental and societal causes. An excellent introduction to the problem of parasocial relationships is provided by Horton & Wohl in their seminal 1956 article Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction. In this article, the authors refer to parasocial interaction as a form of “mediated human contact” in which an individual develops a relationship with a character seen on television. In essence, the viewer experiences the illusion of face-to-face contact with a television performer. An example of this might be a news anchorman who talks directly to the audience. In the parasocial relationship, the viewer sees that the anchor man is looking right at them and starts to believe that they are actually having a conversation (Horton & Wohl, 1956). The parasocial relationship manifests itself in many different ways (Horton & Wohl, 1956). In some cases, the viewer actually talks back to the television performer. In other cases, the situation becomes pathological and the person carries on an imagined long-term relationship with the television “person.” Resulting behaviors vary from sending flowers to fictional people, breaking into homes of stars, or even stalking and killing the star in question. Thus, it is apparent that the parasocial relationship has major significance in modern society. On one level, the parasocial relationship is a dangerous phenomenon that must be curtailed. On the other hand, the parasocial relationship tells us a great deal about certain problems with modern society. Indeed, in looking at the probable causes of parasocial relationships, we can note many areas that 2011-10-31T22:21:51.493-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Parasocial-Relationship-34268.aspx This essay discusses some of the characteristics of the forces of law and order as opposed to those who support individual liberties. It takes the side of those who think government has gone too far and has no right to further impinge on the private lives of its citizens. I Introduction The debate about civil liberties and whether or not they should be suspended in times of danger predates the attacks of September 11; indeed, the idea that there are times when we should trade our freedoms for increased security is as old as the nation itself; it was Benjamin Franklin who said, “They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.” (Robinson, PG). However, the current Administration’s response to the terrorist attacks, which has devolved into what appears to be a blatant power grab, has brought the issue to the fore once again. This paper discusses the issues of law and order and individual rights from both sides, and describes the main points of each. It then chooses the one that is more appealing and tells why it, and not the other, should be supported. II Law and Order Law and order in this connection is understood not simply as police action, but as the concept of the rule of law upon which the nation was founded. The salient points of law turn on the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits “unlawful search and seizure,” in effect, allowing citizens to maintain their privacy and the sanctity of their homes from unnecessary intrusion. Now however, in an effort to stop further terrorist attacks and insure the safety of its citizenry, the U.S. government has passed, among other things, the “USA PATRIOT Act,” which abrogates some of the rights to privacy previously guaranteed by the constitution. Examples include the fact that police can make searches of suspects’ homes without warrants and without probable cause; nor do they have to notify the individual that they were on the premises. Such actions are completely legal now, due to the fact that remaining safe has become a paramount concern of many people. I don’t think there’s any doubt that the terrorist attacks have left many, if not most, Americans frightened and shaky; the government’s passage of this act and other measures is deemed by some to be necessary, and undertaken for the good 2011-10-31T01:20:45.127-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Law-and-Order-Vs-Individual-Liberties-34253.aspx This essay discusses the economic recession/depression in Asia, and the difficulties returning expatriates face in the job market there. It also discusses expatriates in general, and then moves on to discuss ways in which human resources personnel can help the returnees fit into the corporate structure when they resume their duties, or join the company. I Introduction The world is a much smaller place than it once was and its population is far more mobile. It’s no longer particularly unusual when someone lives and works overseas for a time before returning to their homeland—if they do in fact return. This paper discusses the impact of the economic recession in Asia has on returning expatriates, and what human resources personnel can do to assist the returnees. II Impact of the Economic Recession The economic crisis that swept Asia in the 1980’s and through most of the 1990’s has been demoralizing and widespread, and has shown clearly in the numbers of people leaving the region to work elsewhere. The recession has been profound; comparable, according to some, to the Great Depression that devastated the United States in the 1920’s through World War II. One source discusses the causes of the drop, but as is usually the case with such movements, cannot pinpoint a single factor that precipitated the actual decline. “The World Bank's East Asian "miracle economies" - Japan, the four "tigers" of Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, together with the economies of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, which grew at perhaps the highest and most sustained rates in history - appear to have gone into reverse.” (Skeldon, 1998). A moment’s consideration reveals how astonishing and disturbing this is; seven different countries with high population density and “powerhouse” economies suddenly went into freefall. Citing The Far Eastern Economic Review of 10 September 1998, Skeldon reveals that the declines were not fractions of points, but huge drops in the GDP: Hong Kong down 5 percent; Indonesia down 16.5 percent; Japan dropping 1.3 percent; Malaysia down 6.8 percent; the Philippines down 1.2 percent; South Korea losing 6.6 percent; and Thailand dropping 9.4 percent. (1998). The numbers continued to spiral downwards as the crisis developed. The precipitous decline in the GDP also brought numerous failures of banks and other financial institutions, and an equally plunging stock market. You’ll note, as mentioned above, that there seems to be no 2011-10-31T01:18:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Recession-and-Returning-Asian-Expatriates-34251.aspx This essay examines the first three chapters of Freud’s discourse. I Introduction Although in recent years Freud has come under heavy criticism, particularly for his theories in regard to women’s sexual feelings, there is still no doubt that he deserves his place in history: he is the founder of the field of psychoanalysis. Even if later psychologists feel that he is no longer the “Bible” on all personality theory, he still has a tremendous impact on the field. This paper examines the first three chapters of his short work Civilization and Its Discontents, and explains what he means by what he describes as an “oceanic” feeling and the “memory trace,” and then tackles a larger question: what really bothers Freud about society, and why it has such a harmful effect on humanity. II Chapter I This chapter deals with the “oceanic” feeling, which Freud attributes to a sense that we are all connected; all part of a much larger whole—that we are connected to the Universe, in fact. However, he says that he has been unable to feel this way himself, but that this sensation has been described to him by a friend. He goes on to suggest that what the feeling provides for his friend is a sense of continuity with the past. He uses the example of Rome, and what it might be like if we could see the city as it was, as well as the way it is today; that is, what we might make of it if all the ancient buildings could somehow also co-exist in the same space and time with their modern equivalents. This would enable us to see history and change over time, which would give us that feeling of connectedness—the “oceanic” feeling his friend described. Such a thing is obviously physically impossible, so Freud posits that perhaps the feeling is really the basis for religious feelings, a need to account for our lives and our purpose for existence, though he attaches little importance to this interpretation. An alternative possibility is that the “oceanic” feeling is the experience we have before our ego separates itself from the rest of the universe: “Or, to put it more correctly, originally the ego includes everything, later is separates off an external world from itself.” (Freud, p. 15). It seems likely that both theories are reasonable, and accepting one doesn’t 2011-10-31T00:49:25.9-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sigmund-Freud-Civilization-and-Its-Discontents-34243.aspx This essay briefly examines Mead’s work on the interaction between individuals and society. I Introduction George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) was an influential American philosopher, and one of the founders of the school of thought known as Pragmatism. Perhaps his most revolutionary theory, and one that we will explore in this paper, is that the concept of mind and self arises out of society; that is, that individual psychology “is intelligible only in terms of social processes.” (Cronk, PG). This paper examines his book Mind, Self & Society and explains some of the concepts found therein. II Summary of Parts I, II and III There is a great deal of information in Mead, so perhaps the best way to approach him is to discuss the ideas or precepts that are the most startling, original or compelling in his writing. Part I concentrates on social behaviorism, and in essay 1, the idea that he espouses most strongly is one that must surely have created a great deal of controversy, namely that the “whole (society) is prior to the part (individual).” (Mead, PG). That is, the individual can be explained in terms of the society, rather than the society in terms of its individual members. This would seem to stand most of what we know about human behavior on its head. In Part I he also discusses behaviorism in its relationship to attitudes and gestures. In the first instance, he suggests that behavior is explained by the attitude that it engenders; that is, when someone approaches a horse, he approaches it with the intent to swing into the saddle and ride the animal. This gives his behavior a characteristic attitude: it is a deliberate act with foreseen purpose, not aimless wandering. (Mead, PG). In discussing gestures, Mead suggests that they are related to language, and in fact can be seen as a language of their own. (In recent years, we have become familiar with the term “body language,” and what people tell us without saying a word.) Mead suggests that our reactions to the actions of others are instructive; we respond to implied threats and other gestures with appropriate gestures of our own, much as a snarling dog will cause other dogs to snarl in return. Gestures then would seem to be a function of emotion. Mead concludes the first part of his 2011-10-31T00:48:12.753-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/George-Herbert-Mead-Mind-Self-and-Society-34242.aspx This essay explores several sources that discuss various aspects of community planning and government. I Introduction Although it may seem trivial on one hand or self-evident on the other, the question of the relationship between the definition of a community and the structure of its government is neither. The way in which we define “community” often impacts directly on the way in which its government functions, and authors have been struggling with this question from different viewpoints for decades. This paper considers opinions and comments about urban planning and similar issues by several different authors. Some of them are writing about the idea of democracy; others about citizen actions groups; others about urban planning. But all are concerned about the issues facing us when we try to decide exactly what we mean when we discuss the tangled relationship between citizens and government. II Discussion of the Writings Robert A. Dahl’s piece is a good starting point, because he takes as his subject an attempt to define the optimum size and structure for a true democracy. He begins by discussing the ancient Greek city-states, the polis. Greece is, of course, the cradle of Western civilization and the foundation of the democratic ideal. But, Dahl argues, the idea of the city-state worked well in ancient Greece (or worked, at least, how well is open to historical debate) because the population density was low. Each city-state had its own government, and could operate like this because of the low numbers of people to be governed. In addition, the mountainous terrain proved to be a physical barrier between neighbors, further encouraging the development of autonomous city-states. Today, however, a city-state is no longer feasible, but the question of why it is not, and what entity might take its place, is not easily answered. The city-state passed into history with the rise of the nation-state. While ancient Greeks defined themselves as Spartans or Athenians rather than Greeks, today they would identify themselves by the name of their country rather than their city. Just as people living in the United States call themselves Americans, then say, “I live in New York,” people all over the globe tend to identify themselves by their allegiance to a particular nation. Dahl is concerned with the United States, and he points out that the U.S. grew so quickly and to such an extent that 2011-10-31T00:47:10.27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Democracy-and-Community-Planning-34241.aspx This essay discusses some of the problems encountered by urban planners, including clashes with citizens. It uses various writings in support of its ideas about urban planning. I Introduction Urban planning is the difficult and often frustrating business of trying to design cities that are livable and safe. When city neighborhoods decay, civic leaders often turn to urban planners with the hope that they can turn the situation around. However, all too often it seems that in making their plans for renewal, urban designers fail to take into account the needs and desires of perhaps the most important people who will be involved in the process: the citizens. This paper examines the theoretical aspects of urban planning. It also discusses what lessons professional planners can learn during the process, and what the conflicts between planners and citizens may be. II Theory of Urban Planning Although we tend to think of it as a recent development, urban planning is not a new concept. Washington, D.C., for example, was laid out according to plan; its wide streets and sweeping vistas were designed to intimidate visiting heads of state. And if we look back into antiquity, we learn from numerous texts that cities were deliberately designed with narrow streets to make it difficult for an enemy to move through them rapidly and easily. Today, though, urban planning has become increasingly important because of another phenomenon, quite recent in fact: the decline of inner city neighborhoods. The 20th Century saw several things occurring almost at the same time: there was an influx of blacks and minorities into the cities; there was “white flight” from the cities to the new surrounding suburbs, and there was a corresponding relocation of businesses, shops and other establishments from the cities to the suburbs. When businesses left, they took jobs with them, resulting in pockets in the inner cities were unemployment soared, poverty was rampant and (sometimes) crime increased. When these neighborhoods began to go downhill, city governments would usually bemoan the terrible conditions, and bring in urban planners to help redevelop these areas. Unfortunately, all too often the planners didn’t listen, or care, apparently, about what residents had to say. They simply built as they pleased and were then astonished when residents were angry instead of grateful. Urban planners are fond of the concept of “green space” 2011-10-31T00:45:59.913-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Urban-Planning-34240.aspx This essay describes how “gifted and talented” students are defined, how they are discovered, the problems they face and some of the myths about them. I Introduction When we speak of “gifted and talented” children, we think of musical prodigies, exceptional mathematicians, and young scientific geniuses. But are these definitions accurate? And what sort of problems face gifted children? This paper defines “gifted and talented” children, how they are recognized, some of the myths about them, and the problems they face. The references refer to middle school students. II Defining “Gifted and Talented” Gifted and talented (the two words are used together) students are defined as “persons of exceptional promise whose capabilities predict contributions of lasting merit in widely varying fields.” (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG). Gifted and talented students come from all backgrounds, economic levels and ethnic groups. Their talents and abilities for high achievement are so exceptional that they require special programs to meet their educational needs. (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG). III Recognizing Gifted and Talented Students While stellar academic achievement and a love of learning are two of the most common criteria used to define gifted and talented students, there are other signs as well. These indicators include advanced language development, advanced comprehension, sophisticated thought processes developed at an early age, unusual ability to comprehend and manipulate abstract ideas and to process information, exceptional problem-solving ability, advanced facility in moral and ethical matters, advanced sense of judgment, and the ability to retain a great deal of information and learn at a rapid rate. (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG). Obviously, gifted and talented students excel in all areas, most of which are not strictly academic, such as moral judgment and a strong sense of justice. They have facility in all areas of life. IV Mythology Myths about gifted and talented students abound. Some of those I found include these beliefs: gifted students are all part of a homogenous group; gifted students don’t need help; their futures are assured; they are self-directed and confident; they are naturally creative and don’t need encouragement; and their abilities are always welcomed and prized by their families. (“Common Myths about Gifted Students,” PG). None of these is true; gifted students are still students, which means that although they may be very bright, they are still teenagers, still wrestling with the social 2011-10-31T00:34:00.597-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gifted-and-Talented-Middle-School-Students-34233.aspx This essay examines Orem’s theory both in nursing situations and in other disciplines. I Introduction Dorothea Orem developed several interesting theories of nursing which are still current today. (Orem herself is very much alive; she lives in Savannah, Georgia.) According to one source, Orem’s inspiration for her theory came when she asked herself a simple question, “Why do people need nursing?” (Taylor, n.d., PG). Her nursing theories arose out of a need to answer that question. This paper discusses Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory (SCDNT) and how it relates to some of the practical issues of nursing. It also discusses the way in which the theory might apply in non-nursing situations. II Major Components of the Theory Orem’s theory really arises out of the comparison of two other theories. First, she proposed the “theory of self-care.” In this theory, she proposed that human beings are capable of taking deliberate action to regulate their lives, health and well-being. The term she gave to this ability to take action on one’s own behalf is “self-care agency.” The self-care deficit theory says that human beings have a set of tasks they must perform in order to insure optimal life, health and well-being. Orem termed the total of all these actions that are essential to maintaining life, health and well-being “therapeutic self-care demand.” When the actions a person can perform (self-care agency) are insufficient to fulfill all or part of the therapeutic self-care demand, a self-care deficit develops. That is, the person can no longer perform everything he/she needs to do to maintain their life, health and well-being. A “nursing system” is the term given to “the design and organization of an action plan that bridges the identified gap between self-care agency and therapeutic self-care demand.” (Whitener, 1998, PG). It seems then that the “mechanism” we need is something to either help the person perform the needed action; substitute different actions; or find someone to assist in the performance of the actions. III How the Theory Relates to Nursing, Clients and Environment Whitener’s article describes the use of the theory in regard to children’s health, and is a good example of the way the theory relates to nursing. The idea described in the article is the way in which children can be presented with appropriate health messages to develop “self-care agency.” (Recall that self-care agency 2011-10-30T21:09:32.287-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Orem-Self-Care-Deficit-Nursing-Theory-34222.aspx This essay describes effective listening, barriers to it, and how it can be learned. I Introduction Effective listening is a very important communications skill, but one that is not often recognized for being the vital activity it is. This paper will examine effective listening, and how it contributes to clear communication. II Discussion When people speak, presumably it’s because they have something they want to say. In order for them to actually communicate their thoughts, they have to have someone listening to them. Listening is more than simply hearing words; it is an active effort to be part of the conversation, even though another person is talking. An effective listener is as important as a good speaker, but it takes an effort to perfect this skill. There are barriers to effective listening that much be recognized and dealt with before one can learn how to listen correctly. First, no two people have exactly the same life experiences, so the meaning the listener infers from the speaker will not be exactly the same thing the speaker meant. (Obviously these are not gross errors in inference but very subtle shades of meaning.) (McLellan, PG). Second, people often hear only what they want to hear. They “distort information to fit how they would like to see things done.” This includes completely “not hearing” negative information because they don’t want to deal with bad news. (McLellan, PG). Other reasons for poor listening include the fact that people think much more rapidly than they talk, which means that it’s easy for the listener to let his attention wander to something else while the other person is speaking. In addition, the subject may be too complex for the listener to comprehend, leading again to a loss of attention. Also, because the thought process is so much faster than speaking, the listener may already make assumptions before the other person finishes speaking. Finally, the speaker may have a poor style of delivery that distracts the listener; the listener may not be “in the mood to listen,” or simply not interested in the subject under discussion. (McLellan, PG). Obviously, then, there are significant issues people have to address in order to become effective listeners. The best technique is to become an “active listener.” (McLellan, PG). An active listener is one who focuses on what the other person is saying. This 2011-10-30T20:40:00.437-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effective-Listening-34218.aspx This paper explores the influence religion has had on clothing in two specific periods Ancient Egypt and the Gothic Ages. I Introduction We are used to the idea of religious practitioners wearing clothing that marks them as such: priests wear collars; nuns wear habits; monks wear robes, etc. However, religion sometimes influences the way people dress in general. This paper explores the influence of religion on clothing styles in ancient Egypt, and in the Gothic Age. II Ancient Egypt In general, information on this topic has been extremely difficult to find; it sometimes seems as though the question has never been raised. Having said that, however, let’s take a look at what we do know. To begin, the clothing of the ancient Egyptians was dictated, first and foremost, by their climate. The Egypt of the Pharaohs was just as hot as it is today, but it was also considerably more humid. Clothing was as light as possible, and sometimes people simply went naked. The nobility never did so, but children, lower classes, and laborers, both men and women, simply wore nothing at all. The clothing that was worn was made of linen, because the flax plant from which the fiber is made grows plentifully in Egypt. Clothing was simple: “a short loincloth resembling a kilt for men, a dress with straps for women.” (“Articles of Dress,” PG). The basic style of dress varied little over throughout the history of Egypt; the hemlines rose and fell; pleats were used or not, but the overall style of dress remained virtually the same for centuries. (“Articles of Dress,” PG). With regard to religion, we know something of the “regulations” regarding priests. They were required to wear white linen garments and white sandals, and other individual pieces of clothing marked their functions. Funerary priests wore panther skins; “lector” priests wore a sash across their chests; and a high priest at Memphis wore a special collar. (“Clothing,” PG). As for how (or whether) these fashions carried over into the general populace, that’s difficult to answer. One source says that fashions changed in the 18th Dynasty, perhaps “reflecting the great changes in religion of this time.” (“The History of Clothing in Ancient Egypt,” PG). It seems then that a look at the 18th Dynasty is in order. The 18th Dynasty begins the period known as the New Kingdom, and 2011-10-27T14:42:08.557-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Influence-of-Religion-on-Clothing-34198.aspx This essay examines the beliefs of the two philosophers with regard to the law, and concludes that if taken to the extreme, we could label the two men as liberal and conservative as the words are used today. I Introduction Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau seem diametrically opposed in most of their viewpoints; certainly their view of humanity is almost a direct contrast. Hobbes sees man as intrinsically evil, with a life that is “nasty, brutish and short,” while Rousseau sees man as essentially good. Given these widely divergent viewpoints, it’s perhaps somewhat surprising that their opinions with regard to law are as similar as they are, though they grow apart as the philosophers develop their theories. In this paper we’ll look at Hobbes’s and Rousseau’s visions of law and lawmaking, and extrapolate from those observations to discuss what each finds important politically. I believe that after examining their ideas about laws and lawmaking, we can consider Rousseau a Liberal and Hobbes a conservative, as the words are used today. II Rousseau and the Law Rousseau was the opposite of Hobbes. For him, man before the coming of law existed in a “state of nature.” He lived as an animal does, and in so doing was at peace with himself and his surroundings. The downfall of man began, according to Rousseau, with the introduction of the dual concepts of property and dependence. “So long as men … undertook only what a single person could accomplish, and confined themselves to such arts as did not require the joint labour of several hands, they lived free, healthy, honest and happy lives, so long as their nature allowed, and as they continued to enjoy the pleasures of mutual and independent intercourse. But from the moment one man began to stand in need of the help of another; from the moment it appeared advantageous to any one man to have enough provisions for two, equality disappeared, property was introduced, work became indispensable, and … slavery and misery were soon seen to germinate and grow up with the crops.” (Rousseau, Inequality, PG). Rousseau tells us that as humanity developed, it became necessary for a man to develop “not merely his share of property” but also “wit, beauty, strength or skill, merit or talents” and that if he didn’t possess these qualities, he had to appear to have them. (Rousseau, Inequality, PG). This meant 2011-10-27T13:17:19.45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hobbes-and-Rousseau-Laws-and-Lawmaking-34179.aspx This essay discusses some of the points Davidson makes in his work about the connection between reason and action. I Introduction Donald Davidson’s essay about the causes of human actions is very obscure and difficult. He is attempting to find psychological reasons for actions, including physical actions, and in reading his theories I wonder if it is actually necessary (or possible) to provide a justification for every action. We’ll consider that in the following discussion, in addition to examining other questions, such as whether or not one type of explanation can apply to all actions; and if such an explanation can be found, what its value might be. II Discussion The first sentence of David’s essay sets out what he’s trying to do. He asks “What is the relation between a reason and an action where the reason explains the action by giving the agent’s reason for doing what he did?” I’m going to spend some time here, because we have to understand this basic principle. Perhaps putting it in concrete terms will help. Let’s ask, “What is the relation between my wanting to throw a ball and throwing that ball, where wanting to throw the ball explains my action of throwing it, by giving my wanting to throw the ball as the reason for throwing it.” This is still difficult and somewhat circular reasoning, but it reveals that there is some validity to the idea of their being a connection between reason and action. In order to find the reason for the action, Davidson says it’s not enough to say merely that it appealed to the person who performed it; we must identify what in particular about the action appeal to the agent. I believe that it is in this area that we can begin to make the psychological connection; when we identify what specifically motivates the agent. The reasons for action can be as varied as desires, wantings, urges, promptings, and moral views; they may even include private goals. Because such things as desires and urges are (or can be) unconscious, we can conclude that these may fall into the category of psychological explanations for actions. Some of the features of the psychological explanation are, as I’ve mentioned, the wantings and urgings that prompt the action. Davidson makes a fascinating observation here, and that is the fact that someone may have a 2011-10-27T13:14:37.13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Donald-Davidsons-Essay-on-Actions-34178.aspx This essay discusses the seminal political philosophical work by Marx and Engels. I Introduction The Communist Manifesto is a fascinating document. It is the foundation of one of the most important political and social movements on earth, and yet that movement has largely failed. Does this mean that Marx and Engels’ vision was flawed, or that men simply cannot live up to what are extremely difficult precepts? The Manifesto introduced startling new ideas, ideas that required a complete rethinking and readjustment of society. In the end, it seems that men’s nature is less altruistic and humanitarian than is necessary to make Communism a reality. This paper will discuss this issue: to what extent does the Manifesto succeed in describing the capitalist system as we know it today? We’ll consider the question in terms of politics, economics, philosophy and history; and consider what might be done to improve Marx’s ideas. Finally, we’ll also look at what Marx means by the word “capitalism” and his analysis of it. II Discussion In general, it’s amazing to realize that much of what Marx wrote is still valid in describing the way business, particularly large corporations, operates. He described a greedy, vicious and ruthless class of people—the bourgeoisie—who got rich by exploiting the workers—the proletariat. If we care to take a look at some of the more egregious practices by large multinational corporations (Nike leaps to mind) we see that these methods are still widely used, and still enrich those at the top at the expense of those who actually produce the goods. It’s somewhat disheartening to realize that over a hundred years after Marx wrote, things are getting worse. On the other hand, he got a good many things wrong, too. There has been no general coming together of workers around the world, nor has there been a universal revolution against the oppressive practices of the multinational companies. (Too bad; they could use a good swift kick.) He made other predictions that have failed to materialize, and we’ll return to that in a moment. In short, we see a world in which money rules absolutely; it’s also a world that poses immense difficulties for anyone who is not wealthy. Unfortunately, because of what now appear to be indissoluble ties between money and politics, with the rich buying the support of the governing class for any and all of 2011-10-27T13:05:46.48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Communist-Manifesto-34176.aspx This paper describes the kinds of statements necessary to give rise to Moore’s paradox. I Introduction Moore’s paradox was developed by philosopher G.E. Moore, who was struck by the idea that there are semantic constructs that can be consistent and inconsistent at the same time. This paper discusses Question #2 of the topic, “What sort of statement gives rise to Moore’s paradox?” II Discussion The typical example given as the basis for Moore’s paradox is “It’s raining but I don’t believe it.” However, according to at least one source there is not necessarily a logical inconsistency between the fact of it raining and someone’s not believing it. Perhaps they live somewhere where it hasn’t rained in months and is not expected to rain for several more months, so that when it does rain, they believe it is something else. The more general form of the statement is “It’s p but I believe not-p.” This indicates that something p is extant, but the person does not believe it. When this occurs, and we have a statement that is genuinely consistent and inconsistent at the same time, we have the factors necessary to generate Moore’s paradox. Much of the argument about Moore has to do with semantics and shades of meaning, so it’s important to construct a statement that cannot be interpreted so as to resolve the inconsistency. (This is more difficult that it first appears.) The heart of the matter seems to be constructing a statement in which the two halves are individually true, but together they become inconsistent. “Moorean absurdity emerges in cases in which one supposes a proposition for the sake of argument rather than asserting it or judging it true, while at the same time asserting or judging that one’s state of mind is not one of entertaining such a supposition.” (Green, PG). In other words, I say that I suppose it is raining (not that it is raining or that I judge it to be raining), and then at the same time I say I am not in a fit state of mind to think about such a supposition. How can I even make a statement if I’m not thinking about it? This is the type of thing that generates Moore’s paradox; it also leads into another area of inquiry, and that is the nature of consciousness. III Conclusion It is surprisingly 2011-10-26T23:32:45.023-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Generating-Moore’s-Paradox-a-Philosophy-Essay-34158.aspx This paper considers the question of whether or not it’s possible to be mistaken in knowing what we think. I Introduction We are considering Moore’s Paradox, the idea that there are some statements that can be consistent and inconsistent at the same time. Within that framework, we want to ask another question: Can we be mistaken in what we think? This is not a question of being mistaken because of receiving incorrect information; the question under consideration is, is it possible to actually make a mistake about the (for lack of a better term) contents of our own minds? II Discussion When we make a first-person assertion, we are in the realms of conscious thought; that is, we are explaining our thoughts and thought processes to someone else, saying, “This is what I think.” However, there is an important difference in processing the difference between p and “I think that p.” In the first case, p is itself; in the second, we imbue p with qualities taken from our own belief system and higher-level consciousness. In this case, if we are mistaken in our interpretation of p, I think it is possible to say that we can make a mistake in what we think. This is akin to making a mistake because of a lack of good information. But on a deeper level, the question truly is, can we make a mistake about our actual conscious thought processes? Can we say that we are mistaken in our thoughts—not in the content (for what of a better word) of what we’re considering, but in the very process of thinking itself? I believe that such a thing is not only possible, but happens frequently; we call it “self-deception.” Self-deception is no such much an act of deliberation – a conscious effort to fool oneself – as it is incomplete self-knowledge. If we truly know ourselves and our beliefs, feelings, and consciousness, then we have a great deal of self-knowledge, sufficient to understand our thought processes. But if that knowledge is incomplete than we can “fool ourselves.” When we do so, then we can be mistaken in our thinking. But I think it is important to recognize that our self-delusion is not deliberate, but comes from a lack of knowledge. III Conclusion The concept of consciousness is still poorly understood and remains the object of debate. In 2011-10-26T23:23:50.107-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mistakes-in-Thinking-34156.aspx This paper discusses Gregory Kavka’s psychological problem, the “Toxin Puzzle,” from various viewpoints. (8.5 pages; 3 sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction Paradoxes and puzzles seem necessary to human beings; it’s as if we need the challenge presented by something we can’t solve—or by something that has many solutions—to keep our minds active. Sometimes these puzzles are pure theory; sometimes, they can be seen to have a more practical application. This paper discusses Gregory Kavka’s paradox, which is known as the “Toxin Puzzle.” It discusses what sort of puzzle is presented by this story; why the resolution of the puzzle is interesting from the viewpoint of practical rationality; Bratman’s solution; why it does or does not work; and whether or not the puzzle has a moral or point. II The Toxin Puzzle The Toxin Puzzle is a “thought experiment.” Suppose that there were a device that could measure intent. Of course no such machine exists, but suppose there were a very gifted person who understood others so well that she could predict, with uncanny accuracy, what they would do in any given situation. She is right so often that we might call her perfect in her ability to predict. She can thus tell us when someone intends to do something. Now suppose that she offers someone $1 million to drink a disgusting toxin the following afternoon. The toxin will make the person dreadfully sick for 24 hours, but the effects are neither permanently harmful nor life-threatening. In other words, the person will be sick as a dog for one day, but there will be no further ill effects; and the person will be $1 million richer. But that isn’t all of the puzzle. If it were, it would be simple: do you want the money enough to be that sick? That comes down to a simple choice: it’s worth it, or it’s not. But Kavka added another dimension. Suppose, he said, that it’s not actually necessary for the person to drink the toxin to receive the money; all he or she need do is to clearly intend, at midnight the day before, to drink the toxin the following afternoon. This intent is what our gifted person can sense. What was a clear choice has now become a difficult problem, because we have introduced the element of intent into the mix. It’s 2011-10-26T14:44:52.85-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Toxin-Puzzle-34140.aspx This paper examines two methods of behavior modification, PBS and self modeling, and concludes that self modeling is more useful, because the change in behavior becomes apparent more quickly. More research is needed in the field, however. (5.5 pages; 3 sources; APA citation style) I Introduction The term “behavior modification” refers to the process of changing someone’s behavior from undesirable to desirable. It’s usually thought of in connection with disruptive students, but it can be used for many things; for example, enhancing weight loss by eliminating behaviors that lead to overeating. This paper looks at two journal articles that describe two different types of behavior modification: positive behavior support and self-modeling. It also references a third article that introduces the concept in a general way and gives us some background. Although behavior modification is appropriate in many settings, I’ll concentrate on the classroom, or else the topic becomes far too large. II Behavior Modification – Overview Duhaney suggests that the first thing to do when dealing with a disruptive student is to determine why the student is engaging in the inappropriate behavior. One tool to help discover the reason is a “Functional Behavioral Assessment” or FBA: “…a functional behavioral assessment … is a person-centered, problem-solving process that involves collecting data to measure student behavior; determining why a student engages in a particular behavior; and identifying the instructional, social, affective, environmental, and contextual variables that appear to lead to and maintain the behavior.” (Duhaney, 2003, PG). Once the cause of the behavior is known, the most effective approach to modifying the behavior can be decided. Although Duhaney’s article speaks mainly about intervention in the cases of students with ADD, it is logical to assume that the first step to modifying inappropriate behavior in any setting is to find out the reasons behind it. III Positive Behavior Support as an Alternative to Traditional Disciplinary Measures Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is, as its name implies, a system of rewarding appropriate behavior and changing inappropriate behavior. It grew from the observation that often, when students are punished for misconduct in traditional ways (curtailment of privileges, being sent to the principal’s office, “Zero Tolerance” programs, etc.), the undesirable behavior actually increased, rather than the opposite. (Safran, 2003, PG). It was obvious that other methods had to be found. PBS can be applied to individuals, groups, or to an entire school; it can apply to 2011-10-26T13:36:38.8-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Behavior-Modification-34121.aspx This paper compares statistics for 2002 and 2003 with an article about tax amnesty, and concludes that the article does not agree with the statistics. (6 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) I Introduction The U.S. economy is generally considered to be in recession, as it has been since 2001. This paper will consider several statistics that support that contention, and summarize an article about “tax amnesty”, and then determine whether that article supports or fails to support the conclusion that the economy is in serious trouble. II Statistics If we look at the statistics for this year as compared to 2002, it seems incontrovertible that things are worse now than they were then. In September 2002, the unemployment rate was 5.7%; in September 2003, it was 6.1%, an increase of .4%. In August 2002, the CPI was 181.0; in August 2003, it was 185.2. (The Consumer Price Index measures the cost that consumers pay for items; we see that it rose over time.) The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $10,376.9 billion in Second Quarter 2002; in Second Quarter 2003 it was $10,802.7 billion. (The GDP is the measurement of goods and services produced in the United States in a year.) The GDP showed a growth of 425.8 billion. Finally, the interest rate that the Fed charges has remained “level at 1%”. These statistics seem to indicate a “mixed” outlook: the number of jobs lost rose, and that coupled with an increase in prices, means that it would be increasingly difficult for Americans to make ends meet. However, Americans continued to make more products, raising the GDP. It should be noted that this increase in the GDP may be attributed to many factors, including more efficient manufacturing processes. Manufacturers continue to produce and increase their production even as the lay off workers. In general, I maintain the economy is still in recession as it has been since 2001. III Article on Tax Amnesty/Discussion The last line of the article should make the writer’s bias obvious: he refers to “President Bush’s excellent tax reform.” The article also appeared on something called “FreeRepublic.com”, which calls itself a “conservative news forum.” Obviously, then, we should expect the article to be supportive of Bush and his policies since we have seen virtually no criticism of Bush coming from conservatives since he took office. The article discusses “tax amnesty,” 2011-10-26T13:01:53.053-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economy-2003-34102.aspx This paper discusses the influence of TV on children, and how it influences their behavior. It also mentions what parents can do to mitigate this influence. (6 pages; 4 sources; APA citation style) I Introduction Many studies have shown that television has a negative impact on children and young people. It also appears that parents experience stress when they try to limit children’s television viewing. This paper will explore both of these issues from a psychological viewpoint; in particular it explores behavioral aspects of the issue. II Discussion Television is an extremely influential medium, and it shapes the attitudes of children towards many different matters, including sex, violence, eating, spending, and relationships, among others. It can become a sort of distorting prism through which they view the world, expecting that incidents in real life will “play out” the same way they do on the screen. I’d like to explore what sort of psychological effect this immersion in television has on children with regard to behavior. First, let’s look at just how much violence children see on television. In a study in 1999, Strasburger says that children average 16 to 17 hours of television viewing weekly; when time spent playing video games and watching prerecorded material is added, the total spent in front of the screen can be as much as 35-55 hours per week. (PG). Not only does this mean that television has a substantial impact on the attitudes and beliefs of youngsters, it also means that they spend less time playing and getting physical exercise; less time interacting with others in the ‘real world’; and less time reading. During these hours that they spend in front of the set, youngsters are exposed to 10,000 violent acts per year. (Strasburger, 1999, PG). The most violent acts of all are those found in programs aimed directly at children: “Most recently, the National Television Violence Study examined nearly 10,000 hours of television programming throughout 3 years and found that 61% contains violence, with children's programming being the most violent.” (Strasburger, 1999, PG). (Although Strasburger doesn’t indicate what type of programs these are, they musts surely include cartoons, which are notoriously violent, as well as life-action shows, such as the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”) But does the violence they see on screen lead children to commit violent acts. Apparently, the answer is yes. “The research 2011-10-26T13:00:21.773-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Television’s-Influence-on-Children-34101.aspx This essay summarizes the book by Deborah Stone. Policy Paradox by Deborah Stone is an extremely readable book. Although it might be considered a “textbook,” Stone has written in a lively, conversational style that eliminates any hint of dryness. She takes as her basic premise the idea that the assumption of many public policy makers is flawed. “The fields of political science, public administration, law, and policy analysis have a common mission of rescuing public policy from the irrationalities and indignities of politics, hoping to make policy instead with rational, analytical, and scientific methods.” (P. 7). She argues that this idea, of combining the missions of these various agencies in the hope of arriving at a systematic way of making rational policy, is mistaken, because the thought underlying them is itself paradoxical, and furthermore, because the agencies are political. Thus, any analysis of the policies of these agencies is done in a political manner; that is, “it is a strategically crafted argument, designed to create ambiguities and paradoxes and … resolved in a particular direction.” (P. 8). Her second aim is to find a political analysis that makes sense, given the fact that the idea of divorcing public policy from politics is in itself a paradox. She begins by defining her terms in an attempt to find a good “model of political society … a model of the simplest version of society that retains the essential elements of politics.” (P. 17). She first examines the market model, but then goes on to say that contrasting the market model with the political model will show how grossly the market model distorts political life. (P. 17). Given the fact that much of today’s society, in particular those who “worship” at the altar of the free market, is apparently devoted to the unbridled spread of global capitalism, this is an excellent starting point. In answer to those who continually praise the unregulated free market as the only true force driving the economy, and who resist efforts to “level the playing field”, saying that such policies are unnecessary, Stone points out that people who make that argument see the market in terms of individuals only. These individuals seek to maximize profits for themselves. But that’s not the way the real world works, because people, despite their individuality, also have ties to organizations and entities 2011-10-26T12:36:13.577-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Summary-of-Policy-Paradox-by-Deborah-Stone-34085.aspx Abstract: This paper compares the approaches to communication taken by two self help authors, Stephen R. Covey and Brad Blanton. (10 pages; 1 page outline; 5 sources; MLA citation style. Self Help Books Outline I Introduction General introduction Methodology of Book Selection Description of Paper II Authors and Their Credentials Stephen R. Covey University lecturer Covey Leadership Center Brad Blanton Activist Psychologist Counselor III Principles of Communication Stephen R. Covey Personality Ethic Character Ethic Empathic Listening Autobiographical Responses Empathic Listening Methods (Mimic, Rephrase, Repeat Feeling, Rephrase and Reflect) Brad Blanton Anger Confrontational Methods (Confront person with issue, unrestrained expression of anger, pay attention to physicality, appreciate other’s good points, stay with the feeling, let go) IV Value of the Books V Critical Reception VI Conclusion VII References Self-Help Books I Introduction Self-help books are a major industry in the United States. Sometimes considered genuinely helpful, sometimes considered an obvious joke, they are an important part of the book trade. This paper will consider two self-help books in general and what they say about effective communications between individuals in particular. The methodology I used to find the books was simple: I did a search for “effective communication between individuals” in the public library’s on-line database. There were only three hits, but one was instantly recognizable: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. This book has been selling consistently for years, so it seemed a good choice. When I went to get it, I simply scanned the books near it, and found another self-help book that deals with communication: Radical Honesty by Brad Blanton, Ph.D. Additionally, there is a request to “relate communications principles and theories covered in the course to those … [in the books].” As I have no idea what the coursework has covered, I cannot address this point. We’ll take a look at the authors’ credentials; the principles they advocate (this is the largest section); the value of the books; and their reception. II Authors and Their Credentials Stephen R. Covey is a Mormon, born and raised in Utah. He has an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate from Brigham Young University; at Brigham Young he was “a professor of organization behavior and business management and … administrative assistant to the president and director of university relations.” (“Stephen R. Covey,” PG). The lectures on character building that he gave during his tenure at BYU were so popular that he began to lecture publicly, and in 1985 he founded the Covey Leadership Center to present his theories to managers, entrepreneurs and others. He has received numerous 2011-10-26T11:52:22.947-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Self-Help-Books-Covey-and-Blanton-34062.aspx This dissertation explores the link between absent fatherhood and the effects that this may have on the criminality of children. This topic has been selected due to the scale of interest and concern being afforded to it compared to the disproportionate amount of conclusive research actually conducted into the area. The paper will take the form of a library based investigation; this is due to the complexity involved in gathering participants with a criminal background whose criminality can be attributed to the absence of their fathers; it is often very difficult and time consuming to negotiate access to such individuals and is thus unrealistic within such a limited time frame and without any funding to conduct a research based project. These limitations and further methodological reasons concerning this dissertation will be discussed in-depth in the methodology section. Although the paper is not based on primary research this is not an indication that new conclusions and the solutions to previously unanswered questions cannot be attained, outstanding issues shall be addressed within the paper and recommendations shall be made as to how to proceed in order to further investigate this topic. Absent fatherhood is an issue which is often brought to the attention of the public particularly by politicians and religious leaders; this is largely due to the moral panic surrounding youth crime that exists within the UK. Youths have become stigmatised and criminalised, particularly within the media, and have now come to be viewed as what Jock Young would refer to as “folk devils”. Recent panics concerning gun and knife crime have also tended to focus on groups of criminal youths and have increased the public’s fear of this supposed subculture of adolescents. However, throughout this debate little time is afforded to discussing the reasons why these youths may turn to crime and how their family lives and household dynamic may play a part in their demise. In light of this it is therefore vital to gain a broader perspective as to why and how some children become criminal. Barrack Obama recently tackled the issue of absent black fathers when addressing a congregation in Chicago and voiced his concerns that “too many fathers are M.I.A; too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes” (The New York Times, 2008). The Archbishop of Canterbury, 2009-03-26T21:18:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dissertation-on-the-Effect-of-Children-Without-a-Father-34043.aspx THE EDGE by Adeel Salman This was definitely not the way he had planned... he stood there at the edge of the roof. He looked down. People walking in the street looked like ants. There was none he could recognize. But at this point even if he could; it would not have made any difference. His mind kept switching between the past and present... as if trying to find some point of reference that he could quote to himself and convince himself to change his decision… occasionally his neurons brought up her face… it helped for just a micro second but then it got worse than before… he could recall the journey back… he had felt so hopeful that she would help him take control of himself… in just one month he had experienced fate lashing back in his face with full fury. She had changed to a point where his existence only mattered to her; merely based on his utility… at this point his mind bombarded him with a trillion questions… where did he lack?... was it just the fact that he wasn’t good looking enough?... was it his age?.... was it ever love they had?... and this continued to a point where he became numb! He could hear her voice every time someone questioned her about him… their relationship was sending shock waves to the world around them… to him it didn’t matter- she was his world… but to her, it did… he was just a part of her world… He looked down. The height didn’t scare him… a gust of wind crossed his frame… he felt tired… he could hear his heart beat… he could feel it beating against his chest… shaking his whole existence… he wanted that to stop… he wanted to put an end to that… he had no more left inside him… he knew he couldn’t run anymore… he knew now that this was the end he always had… and he had only delayed this end by running away… He could recall all the time she had loved him… held him close… held him together… her sweet voice echoed deep in his soul… I love you… don’t ever leave me… you complete me… what would I do without you… miss you… Jahan Ara… Deelo…! He could feel her fingers run through her hair… he could feel her soft warm breath touch him… he could see her bright deep 2009-03-20T09:02:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/THE-EDGE-by-Adeel-Salman-34033.aspx Down the Memory Lane by Adeel Salman The abyss… it stares back… is it hard to stare back… may be? I sometimes stand at the edge and look down... it actually pulls. The abyss stares back and it actually pulls. Chaos is like gravity. All you need is a push. I walked down the memory lane in search of me. But all I found was a stranger with tear stained face. He looked at me. I looked at him. We both passed each other. I think it was me. But then again it could have been anyone. Looks can be very deceptive nowadays. So I walked on and I saw a couple of people who hailed me as ‘friend’. Now who could they be? Hmmm they resemble those faces I have in mind that haunt me in the dead of the night. They are pale and scary; resemble the blood suckers called vampires. Here though they look fresh and very… fresh. But why would they call me ‘friend’. I moved on and saw more of those. They all called me ‘friend’. Now what could be the meaning of ‘friend’? Most of them had smiles when they shouted out this word. Well then it must be something associated with joy. Some also had open arms. Hmmm so that means it must be closely related to embracing. But what is that cold gleam in their eyes… all had it. That suggested something very very sinister. Hmmm so friend is not a good thing after all. Yeah I guess friend isn’t a good thing after all. As I move on I see that there are some more faces standing at the next bend. They actually are just faces. No bodies. No arms. No legs. No abdomens. Just faces. Most of them resembled the guy with the tear stained face. Some have scars. Some have painted smiles. But almost all have the same look. Sad… sad… very sad! Maybe they are just faking the face of the tear stained guy resembling me. Looks can be very deceptive these days. The night was falling and shadows of broken dreams and shattered hopes were beginning to grow darker. Loud weary wails were emerging from those shadows… I had not even reached half the way, and it was all beginning to scare me like hell. The shadows started to grow… they began chasing me. As I tried to trace my way back, I 2009-03-20T08:57:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Down-the-Memory-Lane-by-Adeel-Salman-34032.aspx In The FAD By Navirah Zafar Classic Gold Glamour G.O.L.D personifies the Greek goddess like feel from hair to toe. Experience the classic gold glamour by accessorizing your wardrobe with designs that nearly take your breath away, be it an antique diamante flip flop or the sultry sequinced basket bag. Its time for the oh-so beautiful gal to do some flirting without saying a word with sexy metal bobble bangles, pearly sunray scoop bag or the glittery buckle gold pumps! Experience the soft luxury of gold hoop earrings or the chunky feel of a gold metallic ring. Go Hollywood with this stunning range of causal and evening collection. Glam up! To show off your bewitching style, be it a groovy party or a special candle light dinner. Classic gold glam is here to stay! IT’S ALL ABOUT GADGET POWER! Apparently the glint of a new gadget is more intoxicating than the shine on a diamond. Women are wired these days and they want technology and style more than ever. Whether the wallet is being wielded by a stay-at-home mom, a working woman or any of the other countless variations on the 21st century female, women all over are going gadget crazy. Just to add a bit of character, the 21st century woman wants to accesorise her gadget. The statement these savvy women want to portray to the world is sexy, yet discreet and stylish. Be it Paris Hilton or the girl next-door, sleek and sexy cell phones cover, cell phone antenna rings, back charms or even sequinced coin pouches are the way to go. It’s all about enhancing a gal’s personal life…. FIRING IT UP WITH A PINCH TECHNOLOGY AND WHOLE BUNCH OF STYLE. Gear up your style with leather For over many decades leather crafted accessories have personalized offices, but presently cold, impersonal technological equipments are dominating the office world. Leather accessories, with all their warmth and infinite range of colors, textures and grains, give you the chance to make your own statement in the environment you work in. Leather not only provides substance to a space but also elevates the complete attire of a room. We here at niche always want our readers to explore and customize their space with finest of accessories. Be it cow leather or buffalo leather, these elegant handcrafted Leather Organizers, Portfolio, Laptop Bags, Executive Bags, Desk Set, Card holders, Jacket Wallet and Pocket 2009-03-20T08:32:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/In-The-FAD-By-Navirah-Zafar-34031.aspx What TV giveth, we taketh? by Navirah Zafar Jilani Television has become the new religion for almost everyone, living anywhere, in this world. This box, now found in many distinct shapes and sizes, has subliminally forced human consciousness to think, eat and act as it says. Taking television as an object would be outrageous. Behind this sleek screen are devils that won't let humankind think otherwise. The moment one switches on the tube, waves of eye punching colors and images are bombarded at the eyes of TV fanatics who seem unaware of the effects they create. Media Mongols, at times, show lack of sensibility when they package ideas for the viewing audience. With the arrival of cable stations, Pakistani audience has an array of channels and networks to choose from; ranging from Indian, US, British and Pakistani channels. Apart from this, there also come low class CD channels which further accentuate confusion and struggle for the viewer to understand the self and the surroundings. TV channels like Star World , MNET, MM1 , MM2, MNET Action, E! (Entertainment), MTV, Channel V and other channels of such league seem to make sex, sensuality, homosexuality, rape, violence, drugs, smoking, vandalism and rebellion part of the normal thinking process. Individuals belonging to the upper strata of society have access to such facilities with which they can satisfy such needs. But what about maids and house keepers who view a combination of violent and obscene images! Where do they go and leash out their desires? It is a known fact that television has become a learning ground for almost everyone who owns a TV set. Now an individual's frame of reference is not only judged by what he/she learns from the family, friends and school but television as well. When asked about ratings or parental check, people often come up with lame excuses. My concern here is that the channels coming from foreign countries have different time streams; a show airing in America at night is telecast in the early hours of the day in Pakistan because of the time zone difference. So who is supposed to take care of the invisible products created in the minds of Pakistani audience by glamorous, violent and erotic images projected through media? By 'Pakistani audience' I mean innocent children, teenagers, housewives and uneducated house keepers; just to name a few. The operation of 2009-03-20T08:29:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-TV-giveth,-we-taketh-by-Navirah-Zafar-Jilani-34030.aspx Let’s go to the movies! Let’s go see the stars! By Navirah Zafar Jilani Silver screen is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world today. With such a wide audience base, movies can touch and influence lives in ways no other forms of media can do in their attempts to entertain the audience. It is no wonder that producers and filmmakers fill their movies with messages that can and do strike sensitive chords in society. Movies cannot solely be confined to entertainment, but an in-depth study helps understand what baggage is brought with them: a whole setup of ideologies, attitudes and mechanism of the controlling power. Media organisations and filmmakers start developing movies with preconceived notions of communities, races, religions and genders. There are many factors such as script, dialogues, characters, shots, wardrobe, lighting, makeup and many more which constitute the build up of any portrayal. It is through these units, one can understand how downplay of various non-white characters results in positive and negative portrayals. A handful of firms dominate the globalised part of the media system. Many media organisationss lack in delivering social values and responsibility, they merely serve the purpose of exploiting consumers' minds in order to instigate a stereotypical image of anything which is not white. These were the findings of a research carried out by Mehtab Ismail, a media student at the University of the Punjab. Her research revolved around the premise that non-white characters are always portrayed in negative connotations against their white counterparts. American cinema has always been a pioneer in creating, sustaining and reinforcing imagery of non-whites. Race for many may vary, but it is a complex term defined not by biology as much as by politics, history, fear and social hierarchy. Often these forces are disguised as scientific truths, in order to assert their authority as objective. The objectivity, assumed to reside in photographic media including film, makes it apparent as to why images of races have such authority on the minds of ordinary people. Race is an ideological term bearing imagined, stereotyped social and behavioural qualities or as an ever changing socio-cultural construction. The portrayal of white and non-white characters in movies is always in opposite. The white muscular male is always shown as law abiding, down to earth, protecting environment and looking to benefit everyone in his surrounding. On the other hand, the evil non-white, 2009-03-20T08:22:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Let’s-go-to-the-movies-Let’s-go-see-the-stars-Navirah-Zafar-34024.aspx Life changing patterns By Navirah Zafar Jilani With the rapid advancement of media and technology, the packaging of needs have forced small molecules in the human brain to think otherwise. And it goes far beyond that. The choices one makes in life dictates what types of clothes you wear, where you live, who you marry, the colours in your home, the type of plants and flowers you have in your garden, what you eat for breakfast, who you choose to dine with, the type of car you drive, what you watch on television, the music you like, and the list goes on and on. An individual’s lifestyle is dictated by the choices one makes, if that person disregards the existence of the divine spirituality, he/she is nothing but a fool in paradise. Times have changed people have changed. Yesteryears were innocent days, where a disagreement between father and child seemed objectionable, a disgrace on the child. But now as one looks around you see people’s faces and questions of wanting it all. Life encountered miseries have left the land of amphibians in a chaotic mess. Gazing in the eyes of an infant a father cherishes his heritage, unaware that it is “I” (infant) who will break you down. “What is life”, is it the diamond necklace one bedazzles or is it food on a poor man's table or is it the pleasure a father gets holding his new born. Back in the days life was simple(not that I'm that old), for some as a kid going to the regular super market to have ice cream was considered a delight, one still recalls the oooh’s and aaaah’s of agitated mothers when asking for ice-cream money. Now if you ask a kid to eat the market ice- cream, he/she might throw tantrums on not agreeing on anything less than McDonald’s sundae. Society on many intervals have questioned their own kids and the new generation; unquestionably terming old days as good. Surely they were good in reference to the circumstances they entailed says Mahmood Zafar, a banker residing in Sharjah. But with the mingling of technology simpler things in life have changed. Undermining the society with regards to change would be abnormal. The present life requires technology to facilitate daily workings, if one does not incorporate technology with life; the whole essence of living in the 21st century is lost. Taking a glimpse at a 2009-03-20T08:15:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Life-Changing-Patterns-34020.aspx Pets lighten it up! Adeel Salman There are many terms used to describe ways in which animals can help rehabilitate and heal people with special needs. These include 'pet therapy,' 'pet facilitated therapy,' or 'animal-assisted therapy.' Pets can help people with a variety of mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Fish, birds, pocket pets, rabbits, cats, dogs, and horses have all been employed in pet therapy. Animals are warm and fuzzy and alive. Being able to hold and pet another living creature can provide a great deal of comfort. Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In your opinion, are such relationships good? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Some people do not have any pets in their house, except for unwanted ones such as a raccoon or mouse. These people think that there is no place for animals in their places. However, other people have animals such as dogs, cats, and birds in their families and they have a close relationship with their pets. Personally, I belong to the people who treat their pets as members of their family. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that such relationships between a man and an animal bring many benefits. First of all, when people treat their pets as members of their families it means that they feel responsibilities for their little ones. As a result of this people care about their pets' health, their diet and shape, and I think both sides benefit from this kind of relationships. People do not feel alone and pets are in good hands. Personally, I think that pets give people a great opportunity to feel they are needed by these little but at the same time very courageous animals. Second of all, pets teach people, especially children, kindness and devotion. Children grow up kinder, more attentive and friendlier. Finally, often pets are the closest and most devoted friends of people and I am sure that we return them the same feelings. I think it is great and makes everyone a little bit happier. For example, when I was a child my family had a beautiful puppy named "jimmy". We loved him very much and treat him as a member of our family. So, when he died we could not get used to the 2009-03-13T10:07:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pets-Used-in-Therapy-34012.aspx Leashed Freedom by Adeel Salman I and me... the question of free will versus determinism has long preyed upon the human minds. Sophocles Oedipus Rex stands out as one of them the most stern comaprions of fate versus free will. The debate between free will and determinism stems from the apparent conflict between the universal rule of causality found in nature and the apparent ability of men to choose between multiple courses of action in order to lead to the most desirable outcome. Inorganic matter such as chairs, stones, and planets, blindly follows whatever forces affects it, and non-human organisms act for their survival alone, but human beings seem to be an exception to natures rule by their unique ability to ponder about how to go about their life and which values to live by. Determinists reject the idea that any of these choices are freely chosen however, and claim that a man is no exception to natures law because he and his choices are nothing more than the product of his environment. Decisions, they usually claim, are simply a product of conflicting environmental influences duking it out. A proper understanding of the nature of volition however, can reconcile the apparent conflict between free will and causality, and soundly reject the position that man is merely a product of his environment. Determinists claim that the nature of the universe is such that it is governed by certain universal scientific laws, so that each action is caused by a specific prior cause, and human action is no exception. They claim that the human mind is also governed by these rules so that no alternative course of action is possible to humans other than the specific and unique set of prior factors that caused that human action to be made. Thus, human choices are not free because they are determined ahead of time by whatever environmental, social, genetic, biological and any other unknown factors caused such choices to be made. Accordingly, men cannot be held morally responsible for their actions, since they have no more control over the causal chain of events in reality than anyone else. The determinist would say that whether the human mind operates by random firing of neurons or strict logic is irrelevant: both are governed by specific prior causes, and even if science could show that human choices were caused by random firing of neurons, the choice would 2009-02-19T10:25:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Leashed-Freedom--33981.aspx Short Summary When the male human reacts to hard porn scenes with arousal – the significance of the specific scenes activates arousal due to certain personal experiences/impulses which are projected onto the dominated female on the screen/page. The main emotions powering the intense arousal (when there is such) of the authentic sexual acts and the pornographic representations are anxiety and pain. These are ‘let out’, without being felt as such, through rituals which concern domination, submission, control over life generally, and control/loss of control of specific bodily functions - using for arousal (or disguising by arousal) the energy of the oral stage and toilet training traumas; the anxiety and pain of various other inner conflicts/specific events in the past; and their more sophisticated derivates like disgust, shame, humiliation, etc. Through use of porn the male is enabled to savor the suffering of a weak loser – ‘woman’ – which is placed in such position by the very structure of patriarchal civilization, and the male uses its privilege to achieve arousal and ejaculation, evades experiencing its own masochistic impulses, its own desire to be ‘punished’ or ‘fucked’ - it evades its feelings, thoughts and memories, which do not correspond to its idealized version of itself. The specific real time sex or porn scenario influences corresponding types of psyches, in which the traumas being utilized for arousal are the most prominent in the structuring of the character. In the beginning of this chapter we asked some questions concerning the impulses which we can now call BDSM and BF: Are they inherent? Are they inherited? Are they contagious? Are they ‘good’? Are they ‘evil’? Do they allow to maintain some sort of sanity? Or are they forms of insanity themselves? Now we can answer these questions – apart from ‘are they inherited’ the answer to every other one is a firm ‘yes’. Conclusion Within the context of this dissertation, contemporary ‘hard porn’ is a commercial representation of various uses of women by men for arousal and ejaculation. These scenes are used as masturbatory supplements by many males and a reportedly increasing but still lower amount of females. This use of women by men is made possible by, and reflects, the patriarchal structures of our civilization, in which ‘women’ are objects of use and exchange by ‘men’, and the very concepts of ‘women’ and ‘men’ are defined by the latter. Hard porn is legal in those societies 2009-02-12T13:36:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Summary-on-Male-Psyche-and-Pornography-33970.aspx What Is a Moratorium On Foreclosures? The mortgage crisis in America is a political hot topic that has taken a front seat to many other topics of national importance. Even the upcoming presidential election has the potential of having this very topic at the center of each candidate’s agenda. However, with a matter of such national significance it would appear as though all most Americans seem to know is that the economy is bad and that about covers it. Many Americans are unaware of this economic crisis occurring and are even less aware of how it could affect them. Therefore, the apathetic and ignorant attitude towards such a dilemma could be explained. In order to assist in the eradication of this issue, one must examine the meaning of a mortgage and that will improve the understanding as to why foreclosures are occurring throughout the country. Furthermore, with this base understanding of this market we might better understand why Congressional and state legislators wish to place a moratorium, or temporary freeze, to the current foreclosure emergency. What is a Mortgage? First, let’s examine what a mortgage is. According to the Freddie Mac lending agency a mortgage is, “… a lien on a property/house that secures a loan and is paid in installments over a set period of time. The mortgage secures your promise that you'll repay the money you've borrowed to buy your home.” There are also several types of mortgages available through lending agencies as well. Some of the following are the primary options available: fixed rate, adjustable rate, balloon/reset, reverse, and the hottest one that is being talked about the subprime mortgage. This is the one that should be hit on most heavily because this is the reason for the foreclosure crisis occurring right now. The problem with subprime mortgage lending is the fact that a subprime lender is predatory in nature, much like a loan shark. These companies prey on those who cannot receive a mortgage through mainstream companies as a result of poor credit or and/or a number of other factors. These companies then charge very high interest rates on the mortgages they extend to consumers. These interest rates are placed on the principle of the loan and essentially the individual paying on the loan will have to pay on the interest in lieu of the principle for a very long period of time. According to Reuters, “The crisis 2009-02-10T00:18:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Is-a-Moratorium-On-Foreclosures-33960.aspx What is New Institutionalism? Prague 2008 By: Khikmat Fayziev From: Charles Robinson ESSAY «What is new institutionalism?” Introduction: Nearly three decades ago, the first neo-institutional arguments were formulated by John Meyer and colleagues such as Brian Rowan in 1977 and Richard Scott in 1983, and by Lynne Zucker in 1977. This new orientation proposed that formal organizational structure reflected not only technical demands and resource dependencies, but was also shaped by institutional forces, including rational myths, knowledge legitimated through the educational system and by the professions, public opinion, and the law. The core idea that organizations are deeply embedded in social and political environments suggested that organizational practices and structures are often either reflections of or responses to rules, beliefs, and conventions built into the wider environment. This early work set in motion a line of research that continues to be active and vital, attracting a growing number of organizational researchers worldwide. The initial arguments emphasized the salience of symbolic systems, cultural scripts, and mental models in shaping institutional effects, but were somewhat vague with respect to the mechanisms by which culture and history cemented the social order and constrained organizational choices. Early accounts identified institutional effects as concerned principally with social stability, drawing attention to reproductive processes that function as stable patterns for sequences of activities that were routinely enacted. Institutionalization was defined in terms of the processes by which such patterns achieve normative and cognitive fixity, and become taken for granted. Subsequent contributions addressed the mechanisms that buttressed institutionalization. DiMaggio and Powell in 1983 highlighted coercive, normative, and mimetic processes of reproduction. Coercive factors involved political pressures and the force of the state, providing regulatory oversight and control; normative factors stemmed from the potent influence of the professions and the role of education; and mimetic forces drew on habitual, taken-for-granted responses to circumstances of uncertainty. (In retrospect, they omitted evangelizing efforts, where institutional entrepreneurs champion the adoption or influence of specific practices.) Scott, in 2001, further developed three ‘pillars’ of the institutional order: regulative, normative, and cultural/cognitive. Regulative elements emphasize rule setting and sanctioning, normative elements contain an evaluative and obligatory dimension, while cultural/cognitive factors involve shared conceptions and frames through which meaning is understood. Each of Scott’s pillars offered a different rationale for legitimacy, either by virtue of being legally sanctioned, morally authorized, or 2009-02-07T22:27:01-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-New-Institutionalism-33952.aspx Narrative Therapy is an approach to counseling that centers people as the experts in their own lives. This therapy intends to view problems as separate entities to people, assuming that the individual’s set of skills, experience and mindset will assist him/her reduce the influence of problems throughout life. This therapeutic approach intends to place the individual in both the leading role and author roles: switching the view from a narrow perspective to a systemic and more flexible stance. The aim is to help clients realize what forces are influencing their lives and to focus on the positive aspects of the ‘play’. In many events of our lives, we tend to focus on particular things and ignore others. Analyzing our lives as a play, or a system, helps us understand the different forces and roles that are influencing our behavior. This in turn gives us flexibility to invoke the necessary changes for improvement. It is a highly respectful, effective, non-blaming approach. It theorizes that people organize their lives into stories, and that individual are not the “problem” the problem is the problem. It views people as having many skills, beliefs, and abilities that will help them reduce the influence of problems in their lives. The focus is not on the ‘experts’ solving problems, it is the individual discovering through conversations of their hidden possibilities within themselves. Narrative therapy was originally developed during the 1970’s and 1980’s, but became prevalent in North America during the 1990’s. The founders are Michael White a Psychotherapist and David Epston a S.S.W professor. Michael was a social worker, family therapist, author and co-director of the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s known for his work with children, schizophrenia, anorexia/bulimia, men’s violence, trauma, as well as the Indigenous Aboriginal communities. David Epston is an author, co-author and editor of many articles and books on ‘Narrative Therapy’. He is a professor in the Social Work field, and the co-director of the Family Therapy article page Centre in Auckland New Zealand. He worked closely with Michael White on developing Narrative Therapy approach by integrating different forms of therapy together. The Basic concepts of narrative therapy is to enable people to tell their stories in ways that make them stronger and Enables people who are experiencing hardship to make a contribution to others who are also experiencing hard times. It Encourages individuals, couples, and families to more fully explore other possible 2008-11-18T21:15:18-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Narrative-Therapy-33878.aspx In this world political decisions are among countries sometimes follow the rules of the childhood game of “follow the reader.” Everyone takes turns being the leader so when one government comes up with a brilliant idea everyone tags along behind, changing their laws to be the same and add up to the enemy. It was just the same with the minimum wage laws. The United States enacted the law in the1938 after a few other countries had first. This law was enacted as a matter of social justice, to reduce exploitation and assure workers can afford basic living expenses and necessities, not to increase unemployment among low wage, unskilled workers. Not to harm the employment rate, but to help. When you have minimum wage laws they have to change at some point, whether its due to inflation or even the consumer price index. It’s like a physics experiment done on earth, as opposed to doing it on the moon. The gravitational acceleration on the moon is different from that on the earth, which affects the results, but the results change in proportion to how they would change on earth, which makes everything equal out and end up the same problem, no difference. In Source B it is stated that politicians link the minimum wage laws to the consumer price index, thereby producing small annual increases rather than larger wage hikes. This is the case with the wage laws in Oregon. No proof has been given that minimum wage laws make any difference in the unemployment rate. In Source C it tells about David Card and Alan Krueger, and the research they’ve done, they wrote the book Myth and Measurement: The New Economics of the Minimum Wage, which argued the bad employment effects of minimum wage laws to be “minimal to non-existent.” These two looked at increase in New Jersey and California’s minimum wage rates; Card and Krueger both present evidence that increases in the minimum wage only increased pay, but still no loss in jobs. Even though critics have argued their points, and said they were flawed in their research, Card and Krueger still overcame the criticism and stuck by the evidence they obtained. The research was obtained fair and square, so it still stands. Now-a-days buyers have the power over sellers. Which is considered a market failure, and results in workers “being paid less than their marginal value,” as 2008-11-17T01:43:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Minimum-Wage-Benefits-Workers-and-Doesn-t-Decrease-Employment-33870.aspx Friday, November 23, 2007 LE-II Communication, Awareness and leadership task #1 Chapter 1, lesson 2 Listening is one of the most effective tools of communication; right next to speaking that is. However, if you don’t listen to everything the person is saying or if you don’t clarify what the other person IN the conversation is saying you may not get the full meaning of what they are saying. To become a better listener, you need to understand the four types of listening; passive listening, competitive listening, active listening and reflective listening. Passive listening is one of two types of listening where you’re least likely to get the full message or understand what is being said. Passive listening is one way communication in which the receiver does not provide feedback or ask questions and may or may not understand the sender’s message. Some examples of passive listening are when you’re listening to a radio, television, or a teacher who doesn’t ask for questions (LE II, 18). Passive listening is extremely common in today’s world because of the amount of television children watch- people watch television, or the news and hear something but aren't able to ask about it, so they may misunderstand. This is how many rumors are started. The second type of listening where you’re least likely to get the full message or understand what is being said is competitive listening. Competitive listening takes place when the listening is not listening closely and is more concerned about how they’re going to respond than what the other person is saying. You listen only long enough to hear what you think is the important information, and then you’re thinking about what you’re going to say next. The most common example of competitive listening is when you’re in an argument. You’re so set out on ‘winning’ that while the other person is talking (or in some cases, yelling which is worst) most of your attention is turned towards figuring out what you’re going to say next and you can’t wait for a break in the conversation so you can jump in and add what you have to say. Active listening is the next type of listening and is the most common type of listening. Active listening is genuine, two way conversation where both sides are contributing. The receiver is paying complete attention to what the other person is saying and is thinking about the information 2008-09-04T23:50:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/LE-II-Communication,-Awareness-and-leadership-task-1-33693.aspx DEFINING INTELLIGENCE Intelligence represents the amount of experience a person accumulates in a given time interval. High intelligence means that a large amount of experience is obtained over a short interval of time, while low intelligence means that little experience is obtained over a long period of time. Simply put, intelligence measures the rate at which a person acquires new experience. The relationship that defines intelligence is the following: Int = ΔExp / Δt where ΔExp is the amount of experience gained in the time interval Δt. Here are a few examples to illustrate this relationship: The person that solves a problem in 20 minutes is more intelligent than the one that solves the same problem in 60 minutes. In this example ΔExp has the same value for both ‒ they both solve the same problem ‒ but the time interval Δt is different. In this case, the first person acquires experience faster. Another example : researcher A makes 3 scientific discoveries in one year, while researcher B makes 1 discovery in the same amount of time. In this second example Δt has the same value for both (one year) but the experience gained ΔExp is different. According to the above relationship we can assess that scientist A is more intelligent than B because he accumulates experience faster. Until today intelligence research has focused solely on measuring experience, while completely ignoring the time factor. Suppose person X is the world champion in mathematics and the time he spends on this discipline is about 18~20 hours a week. Now suppose person Y is just as good at mathematics as X (this means that he has the same amount of experience in mathematics as X) but Y exercises mathematics 9~10 hours a week. By ignoring the time factor it would be impossible for us to determine which of the two possesses a higher intelligence quotient, both having the same amount of experience in that area. But by calculating the experience/time ratio we can assess that Y is more intelligent than X because it has acquired the same amount of experience in half the time. Some may recognize a certain analogy between this definition (experience/time) and other definitions from physics, such as that of speed (distance/time) or power (energy/time). The difference is that the definition of intelligence seems to be a purely theoretical relation, numerical values been almost impossible to obtain, for both experience and time components. While the distance 2008-08-25T10:55:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Defining-intelligence-33667.aspx Financial Inclusion Benefits, Issues and Challenges Contents Introduction 3 Financial Inclusion 5 What Financial Inclusion Is All About 5 Why is financial inclusion important? 5 What are the reasons behind financial exclusion 5 Main Drivers of Financial Exclusion 6 Financial Exclusion - The resulting problems 6 Banking in India 7 Financial Inclusion - Issues and Challenges 10 Appendix 11 Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance Union budget speech 2007-08 11 June & July Session: June 15-July 30, 2007-The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata 11 References 18 Introduction The growth trend of the Indian economy over the last few years appears to indicate the beginning of a new phase of higher growth. From an average growth rate of around 6.0 per cent for a quarter of a century, the growth rate has accelerated to 8.1 per cent over the last few years. The per capita income growth is now 6%. On the savings front, the increasing trend in gross domestic saving as a proportion of GDP witnessed since the early 2000s has also continued unabated. The gross domestic savings rate has improved from 23.6 per cent of GDP in 2001-02 to 29.1 per cent in 2004-05. Along with the improvements in savings and investment rates, there has also been a marked lowering of inflation from 7.8 per cent in the 1990s to 4.7 per cent in recent years. There has also been a resurgence of manufacturing activity. The high industrial growth is also corroborated by the record of very healthy performance of the corporate sector, which has recorded unusually high profit growth over the past three years: over 40 per cent growth in profit after tax for 11 successive quarters from Q3 2002-03 to Q1 2005-06. There are certain concerns which can be summarized as follows: • High growth has not been matched by adequate deposit growth. The growth in deposits since 2001-02 has been far lower than that required to support overall credit expansion (Graph 1) • Banks have been financing much of the incremental credit expansion by unwinding their surplus investments in government securities. • Deposit growth concentrated in the larger cities (helped by the high corporate profitability) • Trend: banks may have been proactive in credit deployment but their focus on deposit mobilisation may have been less than adequate. • Slow deposit growth in non metro areas: possible suffering of financial inclusion Table 1: Relative Share of Borrowing of Cultivator Households (per cent) Sources of Credit 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2002$ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Non-institutional 92.7 81.3 68.3 36.8 30.6 38.9 of which: Money lenders 69.7 49.2 36.1 16.1 17.5 2008-03-26T16:01:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Financial-Inclusion-In-India-33551.aspx The International Communication Association is a professional society composed of communication researchers, practitioners, and teachers from several countries. The ICA Communication Audit was developed under the auspices of its Organizational Communication Division, from 1971-1978 The ICA Communication Audit was designed to provide organizations with reliable, factual data about their internal communication, and to do so in a way that permitted comparability with similar organizations. Its strength lies in the expertise, effort, time, and care that have gone into the creation and validation of its instruments and procedures. A set of five standardized instruments and procedures were developed (questionnaire survey, interview, communication experience, diary, and network analysis). The ICA Communication Audit uses both computerized analysis and feedback procedures. The ICA Communication Audit instruments and procedures were made available for widespread use on a not-for-profit basis, to support and encourage research into organizational communication. The ICA developed and maintained a normed data bank to enable comparisons among organizations’ communication systems. The primary purpose of this resolution was to eliminate the ICA’s role in “credentialing” auditors, so that the ICA could not be held legally responsible if a dissatisfied client chose to file legal action against a communication auditor. The ICA Communication Audit procedures and instruments remain in use, sometimes in modified forms, through today. The ICA Communication Audit data bank is still administered by Gerald M. Goldhaber, Department of Communication, State University of New York at Buffalo. The Eight Factors of the CSQ COMMUNICATION CLIMATE Communication Climate reflects communication in both the organizational and personal levels. On one hand, it includes items such as the extent to which communication in the organization motivates and stimulates workers to meet organizational goals and the extent to which it makes them identify with the organization. On the other hand, it includes estimates of whether or not people’s attitudes toward communicating are healthy in the organization SUPERVISORY COMMUNICATION Supervisory Communication includes both upward and downward aspects of communicating with superiors. Three of the principle items include the extent to which a superior is open to ideas, the extent to which the supervisor listens and pays attention, and the extent to which guidance is offered in solving job-related problems. ORGANIZATIONAL INTEGRATION Organizational Integration revolves around the degree to which individuals receive information about the immediate work environment. Items include the degree of 2008-03-16T04:05:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/ICA-Audit-33540.aspx Humanistic psychology emerged in the 1950s in reaction to both behaviorism and psychoanalysis. It is concerned with the subjective experience of human beings, and views using quantitative methods in the study of the human mind and behavior as misguided. This is in direct contrast to cognitive (which aims to apply the scientific method to the study of psychology), an approach of which humanistic psychology has been strongly critical. Instead, the discipline stresses a phenomenological view of human experience, seeking to understand human beings and their behavior by conducting qualitative research (wikipedia). The humanistic approach has its roots in existentialist thought. The founding theorists behind this school of thought are Abraham Maslow, who presented a "hierarchy of needs"; Carl Rogers, who created and developed 'client centered therapy' and Fritz and Laura Perls who helped create and develop Gestalt therapy. Gestalt psychologists claim to consider behavior holistically, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" (psychclassics). Carl Ransom Rogers, (1902 - 1987) was a psychologist who was instrumental in the development of non-directive psychotherapy (Rogerian psychotherapy). His basic principles were congruence-genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding demonstrated by the counselor are necessary and sufficient to create a relationship beneficial to allowing the client to fully experience their phenomenological field, or self (Coon,2001). It was only after years of counseling experience that Rogers settled on these three conditions as the ones "necessary and sufficient" for relational health. Although they emerged from a therapeutic setting, he was certain that they are equally important in the business world, family life, education, and all interpersonal relationships (afirstlook). Rogers used the term congruence to describe the match or fit between an individual’s inner feelings and outer display. The congruent person is genuine, real, integrated, whole, and transparent. The non-congruent person tries to impress, plays a role, puts up a front, and hides behind a facade. Rogers realized that congruence between feelings and actions can never be total, but his experience convinced him that choosing to be real with others is the single most important decision a person can make (afirstlook). He believed the professional roles of doctor, teacher, supervisor, minister, and therapist were created to maintain a safe distance from those seeking help. Yet when he established a warm and trusting climate for the client and they experienced themselves as fully received regardless of whether they expressed fear, anger, shame, pleasure or affection, they got better. Rogers could let 2008-01-27T01:05:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Humanism-Psychology-33509.aspx Behaviorism John B. Watson founded behaviorism in 1913. The theory of behaviorism concentrates on the study of overt behaviors that can be observed and measured (Hothersal, 2004). It views the mind as a "black box" in the sense that response to stimulus can be observed quantitatively.. Some key players in the development of the behaviorist theory were Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike and Skinner. For most people, the name "Pavlov" rings a bell. He is best known for his work in classical conditioning. Pavlov's most famous experiment involved food, a dog and a bell. Edward Thorndike did research in animal behavior before becoming interested in human psychology. He set out to apply "the methods of exact science" to educational problems by emphasizing "accurate quantitative treatment of information". "Anything that exists, exists in a certain quantity and can be measured" (Johcich, as cited in Rizo, 1991). His theory, Connectionism, stated that learning was the formation of a connection between stimulus and response (wikipedia). John B. Watson was the first American psychologist to use Pavlov's ideas. Like Thorndike, he was originally involved in animal research, but later became involved in the study of human behavior. Watson believed that humans are born with a few reflexes and the emotional reactions of love and rage. All other behavior is established through stimulus-response associations through conditioning (wekipedia). Behaviorists believe that learning takes place as the result of a response that follows on a specific stimulus. By repeating the S-R cycle the organism (may it be an animal or human) is conditioned into repeating the response whenever the same stimulus is present. Behavior can be modified and learning is measured by observable change in behavior (Coon, 2001). They also believed that behavior can be described and explained without making reference to mental events or to internal psychological processes. The sources of behavior are external (in the environment), not internal (in the mind). Like Pavlov, Watson and Thorndike, Skinner believed in the stimulus-response pattern of conditioned behavior. His theory dealt with changes in observable behavior, ignoring the possibility of any processes occurring in the mind. Skinner's work differs from that of his predecessors (classical conditioning), in that he studied operant behavior (voluntary behaviors used in operating on the environment) (Coon 2001;Grey1991). In classical conditioning a stimulus becomes associated with a reflex. The bell (in Pavlov’s experiment), a natural stimulus, becomes associated with the reflex of salivation. In operant (instrumental) conditioning, the learner “operates” 2008-01-27T01:00:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Behaviorism--33508.aspx What are the gender role stereotypes, how are they created and what implications do they have from individual ? I am a man, or maybe I’m a male, no wait I am a guy, although my parents still call me a boy, unless you ask an old person then I am a young man. Frankly, I don’t know, understand, or care what I am because most importantly I’m me. My generation has numerous problems and some of the most pressing issues involve sex and gender. It appears we have some confusion on who’s what and why, and I can see why this confusion exists we have some males wearing women’s apparel and some females who are only females because of their lack of a penis. When asked the question what was the difference between sex and gender I immediately thought my roommate was about to tell me a dirty joke. Once I realized that I was in class when I heard this statement I decided to research this topic out. To my surprise there is a difference in sex and gender. I now understand sex is from a biological standpoint, whereas gender refers to the role a society places on a particular sex. What I originally believed was the set-up for a dirty joke turned out to be a lesson learned. What surprised me most about the term sex was the connotation it received when spoken aloud. I find it interesting that a word used in the place of the word intercourse actually has more to do with biology. I feel I am a pretty normal male for my society. I have a tremendous amount of pride. I enjoy sports and eating ungodly amounts of gut bombing food while watching television. I also feel I am a member of the superior sex and just better overall than most women. On the other hand, I feel I possess some qualities that on a gender level are considered feminine. I am a good listener. I am compassionate. I am a romantic. I enjoy cooking, and feel obligated to clean when I get the chance. I like to dress nice and smell good. I also am observant of small things. My mother had the biggest influence on my better gender traits, while my father influenced 2008-01-27T00:57:15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gender-Role-Stereotypes-33507.aspx Essay High school drop-outs This essay is about high school drop-outs and why it is a major problem for our youth. Drop-outs are faced with unnecessary challenges that could have been avoided if they stayed in school and graduated. The age that people drop out of school is about when they are about 16 or 17 years old. In the last 20 years the earnings level of dropouts doubled, while it nearly tripled for college graduates. Recent dropouts will earn $200,000 less than high school graduates, and over $800,000 less than college graduates, in their lives. Dropouts make up nearly half the heads of households on welfare. Dropouts make up nearly half the U.S’s population. It has been known for many years that young people who complete high school don’t face many more problems in later life than do people who graduate. But it is not always a negative influence in a person’s life if they drop out. It mostly depends on what field of work labor you’re trying to pursue that if dropping out will help or hurt you. Dropping out can be successful if they try to be hip-hop arts or if they go into the army. There are some other jobs that people who doped out can have but the jobs aren’t any thing to brag about. Plus being a drop-out it is hard to have a family because you are trying to live off of minimum wage. It is not all that difficult to know why people drop out of school. Here are some reasons why people leave school before they graduate. Didn't like school in general or the school they were attending. Were failing, getting poor grades, or couldn't keep up with school work. Didn't get along with teachers and/or class mates. Didn't feel safe in school. Got a job, had a family to support, or had trouble managing both school and work. And had a drug or alcohol problem. If you are worried about your child dropping out here are some statistics that you can look for in your kids environment and behavior. Students in large cities are twice more likely to leave school before graduating than non-urban youth. Almost 20% were held back a grade, and almost half failed a course. Nearly 25% changed schools two or more times, with some changing for disciplinary reasons. And 12% of dropouts ran away from home. If you (Parent) wont to 2008-01-13T20:48:48-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/high-school-drop-outs-33498.aspx Who is Israel, in today's world? This is written from the King James version of the bible and means no offense to any religion or nationality! May the love of god rule in each and every heart. Scripture is written for spiritual interpretation rather than carnality. A few months ago I saw on Christian TV channel these capitalized words-"On wings of an eagle". The Jews were leaving Russia to go back to the land of Israel for a small price. The state of Israel was re-established in1948 and to get the Jews back to their homeland was considered to be the fulfillment of biblical prophesy. I realize that the Jews are of Israel, but we must consider the fact that there are 12 tribes of Israel. The word Jew is supposedly derived from the name Judah. Judah and Benjamin were of the two southern tribes of Israel. The 10 northern tribes had lost their identity approximately:722 B.C. There was a schism between these 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 sons of Jacob were patriarchs. Gen. 32:28, Jacob was given the name Israel which was applied to his descendents, the 12 sons which made up the whole house of Israel.Isa.3:18,in those days, the house of Israel shall walk with the house of Judah, and they shall come together out of the of the north to a land that I have given them for an inheritance unto your fathers. Jesus Christ came first unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.Mt.10:5-6,Go not in the way of the Gentiles, neither the way of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep and how he leaveth the 99 in the wilderness till he finds it; and follows up with the parable of the coin which was lost, that when they are found there is great rejoicing. There was a remnant to be found to make up the whole house of Israel. The 12 tribes of Israel were to be placed into the New Jerusalem as a spiritual Holy City. This was Jesus' first mission.Rev's 7th chpt. the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel are sealed.Rev. 14:1-6, we see the 144,000 2007-12-23T14:51:28-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Isreal-Today-Using-the-King-James-Version-of-the-Bible-33477.aspx Case Analysis INTRODUCTION In Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, [1] the United States Supreme Court reversed the New Jersey Supreme Court’s application of its state’s public accommodations statute and held that a requiring the reinstatement of an openly gay scoutmaster to the Boy Scouts of America would violate the organization’s First Amendment freedom to engage in expressive association. [2] The Court based this holding on evidence provided by the Boy Scouts that the terms “clean” and “morally straight,” as used in the Scout Oath, mean “not homosexual.” [3] Thus, the Court concluded that disapproving of homosexual activity is a specific, expressive message of the Boy Scouts and that such expressive message would be undermined by forcing the inclusion of a gay member into the organization. [4] The evidence on which the Court based this decision was scant. Although the Boy Scouts introduced certain documents to support its assertion of an antigay message, the source and extent of circulation of those documents were questionable, allowing for a reasonable conclusion that the documents did not truly represent any expressive message of the Boy Scouts. On the contrary, there was evidence that the Boy Scouts, in fact, take no position on homosexuality and that the group’s intention in excluding homosexuals was actually to discriminate based on nothing more than the individual’s status, something prohibited by New Jersey’s public accommodations statute. The Court was able to reach its decision because, rather than being required to look only at objective evidence, courts have broad discretion in determining what the expressive purpose, if any, of an organization is. [5] Such discretion allows courts to infuse their own biases and prejudices, either for or against the organization’s asserted expressive message, into their decisions, as arguably the Court did in Dale. To prevent this from happening, courts should adopt a clear statement rule: an organization that wishes to assert an expressive purpose that would require discrimination of a class protected by state law should be required to present a clear statement, found in the organization’s written brochures, bylaws, official documents or other publications, of the organization’s discriminatory message. Part I of this paper provides 2007-12-18T10:13:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Case-Analysis-Boy-Scouts-Vs_-Dale-33474.aspx Listening is one of the most effective tools of communication; right next to speaking that is. However, if you don’t listen to everything the person is saying or if you don’t clarify what the other person IN the conversation is saying you may not get the full meaning of what they are saying. To become a better listener, you need to understand the four types of listening; passive listening, competitive listening, active listening and reflective listening. Passive listening is one of two types of listening where you’re least likely to get the full message or understand what is being said. Passive listening is one way communication in which the receiver does not provide feedback or ask questions and may or may not understand the sender’s message. Some examples of passive listening are when you’re listening to a radio, television, or a teacher who doesn’t ask for questions (LE II, 18). Passive listening is extremely common in today’s world because of the amount of television children watch- people watch television, or the news and hear something but aren't able to ask about it, so they may misunderstand. This is how many rumors are started. The second type of listening where you’re least likely to get the full message or understand what is being said is competitive listening. Competitive listening takes place when the listening is not listening closely and is more concerned about how they’re going to respond than what the other person is saying. You listen only long enough to hear what you think is the important information, and then you’re thinking about what you’re going to say next. The most common example of competitive listening is when you’re in an argument. You’re so set out on ‘winning’ that while the other person is talking (or in some cases, yelling which is worst) most of your attention is turned towards figuring out what you’re going to say next and you can’t wait for a break in the conversation so you can jump in and add what you have to say. Active listening is the next type of listening and is the most common type of listening. Active listening is genuine, two way conversation where both sides are contributing. The receiver is paying complete attention to what the other person is saying and is thinking about the information they are being given- they also ask questions. In active listening, 2007-12-09T17:41:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effective-Listening-33462.aspx Capitalism Hello ignorant masses of America. My name is "your name here" and I’m here to talk to you about capitalism. In our capitalistic society most of the resources end up in the control of a small few. Those few can now decide how everyone else will work, for most of the population cannot survive without the money these few provide for them. They can even decide how their environment physically and psychologically looks and feels since they own most of the land and media anyway. So how does this affect you? Well this means that your time and creativity are being bought from you. When all you have to sell in return for your own survival is labor, you have to sell your life away to simply exist. In your free time you can use the money to have fun but the time you spent at work is now gone and the only thing you have to show for it are the bills you were able to pay. After a while the idea of going after your own goals seems far away and no longer occurs to you. Some people actually do find ways of getting paid for doing something they enjoy but how many working people do you know that fit into this category? Mr. McHugh maybe… We should find ways of helping everyone to do what they want and live the way they want. Do you really want to live in world filled with unhappy people who never got to go after their own dreams or maybe don’t even have dreams? There is an alternative. This alternative would be a society where everyone would be free to choose what they wanted to do and would never have to worry about starvation or a place to stay. In this way everything would be shared rather than it all being in the hands of those select few. The creativity of society would explode without bosses or tight schedules. Whatever you wanted to do you could do. You love science? Build a new more efficient mode of transportation without oil companies paying millions of dollars to stop you. You love building computers? Build the best you can and put a smiley face on it if you want to. Some hard work could be minimized by just simple changes in awareness occurring in everyday life. Think about doing the dishes at your 2007-11-08T01:06:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Capitalism--33397.aspx By Bobby Ahluwalia During the last decade there have been enormous advances in the transplantation of vital human organs. Unfortunately, the benefits from these operations have been limited due to the shortage of available organs. The current rationing system has repeatedly proven to be ineffective and inefficient. As a result, there have been numerous proposals to help improve this terrible situation. In my thesis, after providing a background, I will analyze various popular proposals. I will then provide my personal opinion as to the best solution to the problem of organ shortages. I would like to use some data analysis in order to support my conclusions. I will first provide a brief history of organ transplants and the governmental regulation of them. Basically, in 1984, Congress passed the National Organ Transplant Act, which outlawed the buying and selling of internal organs. Therefore, the United States relies on a voluntary, altruistic system for supplying organs for transplantations. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) allocates these donated organs according to patient rank on a regional waiting list (Dewar, 161). After demonstrating this current allocation is ineffective and inefficient, I will evaluate some proposals that are currently on the table by using a cost versus benefit approach. Many people feel that organs should be given to those who need them the most. This sickest first policy may initially be beneficial because it is a fair method; however, it does not make much sense in the long run. The case involving the baseball legend Mickey Mantle proves to be an excellent example. On June 6, 1995, Mantle was diagnosed with end stage liver disease. Yet, after he received the transplant, he died two months later. In retrospect, the liver given to Mantle could have been used to save one of the 804 patients who died waiting for liver transplant that year (Sullum, 1). In general, if transplantations are performed on very sick individuals, then people who have a higher likelihood of survival may not receive one. Providing organ transplants to healthier patients will also lower the level of retransplantations, thereby freeing up more organs for others. Another allocation method is biological matching. The actual match is measured by comparing the similarity of the antigen between the donor and patient. This method is beneficial because it leads to an overall higher level of survival and less retransplantations. However, this process is deemed bias when concerning certain groups, 2007-10-25T08:28:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Market-Incentives-Applied-to-Organ-Transplants-33369.aspx South Korea is the country in which LG, a multinational corporation, (companies based in many countries) is based. The article presents us with LG’s aim to increase its market share in Europe by 30%. By the fact that Korea has chosen to develop by exporting its industrial goods, like mobile phones, we also see the 2007-10-24T10:05:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Article-Commentary-on-LGs-plan-to-enter-the-European-Market-33366.aspx The agricultural sector is a very unique sector in economics because it displays characteristics in terms of the demand for and the supply of its goods not seen in any other sector. The principal characteristics of demand are that it is both income and price inelastic and it has high dependency on population and tastes which cause demand to be static in both the short and the long run. On the other hand supply is 2007-10-24T09:59:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Demand-and-Supply-for-Agricultural-Goods-33365.aspx The agricultural transformation model describes the process whereby the structure of a country’s economy changes as it develops from a low to a high income country. The model’s four main elements are rapid and sustained growth of national income per capita in all economic sectors increasing the productive capacity 2007-10-24T09:57:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Agricultural-Transformation-in-Zimbabwe-33364.aspx Although a fiscal policy does achieve in helping the economy for a short period of time by affecting the elements of aggregate demand namely investment and consumption it does have several problems that hinder its effectiveness. On the one hand as previously stated an expansionary fiscal policy by decreasing taxation and increasing government spending the fiscal policy will probably achieve in increasing aggregate demand. This will happen since the decrease in taxation will increase people’s disposable income and consequently depending on the marginal propensity to consume the domestic consumption of an economy which in turn will increase aggregate demand. Similarly the government by increasing spending in all sectors of its economy it will increase investment which in turn may lead to an increase in aggregate demand. This is an effective way to combat economic problems such as unemployment and recession. On the other hand if a government wants to eliminate recession it will have to pursue a contractionary demand side policy. This policy will increase taxation thus decreasing the citizen’s disposable income thus in turn reducing consumption which will reduce aggregate demand which will in turn reduce inflation. On the other hand it will decrease government spending thus decreasing investment which will again reduce aggregate demand and thus in turn reduce inflation. However these policies aren’t always very effective for several reasons. Firstly fiscal policy can’t be effective if consumption isn’t effective to tax changes in other words if there is a high marginal propensity to consume. What this will mean is that no matter how high the government raises taxes the people will still insist on spending as much as they previously did thus not decreasing domestic consumption. On the other hand if there is low marginal propensity to consume no matter how low the government drops the tax domestic consumption wont increase and thus domestic consumption wont increase. Moreover a fiscal policy could lead to the crowding out effect. This is divided in two categories, resources and financial crowding out. In the case of resources crowding out this indicates an increase in reward for the factors of production. This happens in the case of an expansionary fiscal policy government spending on public and merit goods as a result the government increases demand for specific factors of production. This increased demand will lead to increases in wages, rent and interest rates. In the case of financial crowding out increased government spending will 2007-10-24T09:53:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effectiveness-of-Fiscal-Policy-33363.aspx Preface Knowledge and education are the backbone of every society. Knowledge is power and critical to development of any country; also, knowledge is one of the few human resources that does not perish, but rather proliferates through consumption. The competition between nations for ground-breaking research, innovation and technology is intense as history witnesses. The right to education was first embodied in the human rights declaration of 1948 which declared that every child has as much right to education as they do food and shelter. I chose this topic for my Model Arab League (MAL) research paper recognizing the importance of education and understanding it is the one deficit in the Arab world responsible for many other deficiencies in Arab societies ranging from poverty to restricted political and individual freedoms. The MAL conference gives me a venue to show my inner sentiments; I have a great enthusiasm for educational reform and I often think and dream of how we can improve our failed educational systems. In this humble paper I have attempted to identify the most pressing problems concerning education in the Arab world and the subsequent effects on Arab society while providing some possible solutions. This prognosis and prescription will hopefully bring to light a very serious problem while offering sincere remedies to recapture a glorious Arab intellectual past. Every drop of rain is equally important among the millions of others, so I hope that this will not go in vain. Hafiz Muhammad Naeem CIMAL 2006 (AEDF) A Brief History of Education in the Arab World The Arab world has a long intellectual and educational tradition. It has a tradition of expending human energy and resources on the search for all forms of knowledge. That is why, one thousand years ago, the most developed part of the world was the Arab world. The Arabs, in fact, led the world in many areas of knowledge. The catalyst for the blossoming of education in the Arab world was the pronouncement of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he said, “it is the duty of every Muslim man and woman to seek education. The prophet founded mosque school and under his influence Arabs pursued knowledge for its own sake. The use of Arabic, the language of the Koran, spread with Islam and gave a common means of communication to people over a vast area, thusly allowing for the rapid transfer of information. The Arabs translated and preserved teachings from 2007-10-20T09:13:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Education-Crisis-in-the-Arab-world-33356.aspx Economic globalisation, nationalism and economic reforms in India- the literature Anusri Pal Senior Research Fellow BRIC, NSB Business School. Introduction: The last quarter of 20th century has seen a wave of economic policy reform in the developing world. This wave of reform had been preceded by the state-directed effects of economic development, where the goals were to achieve self-reliance and import substitution industrialization. These goals seemed justified considering the agricultural nature and colonialism pattern of their economy. The economic liberalisation covers a number of aspects of policy, but the central issue is to define the relative role of the state and the market in the operation and management of the national economy. The contemporary movement in economic policy reform has involved the retreat of the state and the shedding of many of its economic functions in favour of the market. In the process of globalisation, the ˜international™ economy becomes more closely integrated, with domestic economic agents increasingly oriented to the global market rather than to particular national markets even as the state continues to remain central to national economic development. Thus it is equally necessary to consider also the opposing the in the form of economic nationalism to understand the economic policy reform. Thus, economic globalisation and economic nationalism are then two fundamental forces that have been shaping the world economic situation over the last few centuries. Both these forces are integrally linked with ˜markets™ and ˜states™. Thus, economic nationalism simply represents another level of working of markets and states. The rise of globalisation: The origins of economic globalisation lie in the rise of capitalism in Europe and the process was reinforced by the rise of industrialization that arose as a spontaneous development in Great Britain, and aided directly and indirectly by state. After achieving its own industrialization, Britain turned towards liberalism in the 19th century and as a most advanced industrial power it now enjoyed greater economic advantage for itself in the operation of freer trade. More particularly, Britain has received more credit for its liberalism through political and military coercion to the less developed colonized world. Economic globalisation thus developed not only through the operation of some autonomous economic forces, but also with military power. The other European powers and European colonial settlements like Germany & US launch their own industrialization programmes of industrialization under strongly protectionist or mercantilist policy regimes persuaded by their economic welfare and military securities. But this option of economic nationalism was firmly 2007-09-26T19:18:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-globalisation,-nationalism-amp-reforms-in-India_-33336.aspx Macroeconomics deals with a number of large totals or aggregates which are used to conceptualise and measure key components of the economy. The most fundamental of these is the total output of goods and services, conventionally referred to as the national income. Domestic income" is that produced within a country by all producers operating there, whether foreign or not.".National income" is that produced only by "nationals" of that country, whether they are producing it there or elsewhere.) 2007-08-31T11:43:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/National-Income-33320.aspx Seers was a Cambridge trained development theorist who stressed the significance of social development in developing countries before moving to economic development seeing that in order for economic development to reach its maximum potential social development has to occur first. Seers was highly critical of using indexes such as unemployment and inflation when referring to Third World countries, possibly because the statistics we have from these countries are too unreliable for us to be able to make judgments concerning their economies. In other words to Seers true development lay in the elimination of poverty, increase in literacy, improvement in the health system as opposed to 2007-07-20T15:12:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Development-According-to-Dudley-Seers-33297.aspx Agriculture has always been a very significant element of every country’s economy more because it paves the path towards development rather than because it contributes significantly to the economy’s GDP. All countries, in order to develop, had to go through the process of commercialising agriculture to be able to fund the development of the secondary and eventually the tertiary economic sectors, thus making agriculture a key segment of the economy when it is in its development stages. This can be clearly seen in the way the agricultural revolution from the 16th to the 19th century in Britain, kick started the industrial revolution, which led Britain to becoming the economic power it is today. What is 2007-07-20T15:06:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Agriculture-as-a-Declining-Sector-33296.aspx The labour mobility problems that are created when a common market for labour is extended to more countries have been a major concern of the European Union when considering expansion because member states have always feared their economies would suffer due to the cheap labour coming from poorer nations. Considering the fact that the recent expansion added ten members eight of which have significantly lower wages than other countries and large labour forces makes this concern even more pertinent. Since labour mobility is part of the core freedoms in the Union, the Treaty of Rome that was put into effect in 1958 committed member states to allow for the free movement of labour. This implied that nothing would stop labour from moving within member states and there will be no discrimination against workers based on their nationality, provided the nation is within the customs union. Even though the European Union has always had a great extent of labour mobility, the reason why the nations already within the union fear the consequences of the extension of the common market for labour after the enlargement are the rising unemployment rates observed in recent years. This is mainly because in the EU the job market has only grown by 0.5% from 1980 to 1993 as opposed to the 1% observed in Japan and the 1.5% observed in the US. This essay will therefore assess the extent to which the fears of the European Union have realistic foundations or not. In order to determine the effects of creating a common market for labour we first must see how wages are determined within these economies and why they differ. Wages are determined by the marginal productivity of the last labour unit employed because a firm can only afford to hire workers if they generate enough output to cover the costs of employing them. Thus wages are formulated where: However, the marginal productivity of labours differs amongst countries within the union for a number of reasons. For example a German worker that has had the ability to benefit from a good state education system that teaches its students a wide variety of skills will have higher marginal productivity than a worker from Poland that possibly had to drop out of school early to support his family. Also, the capital employed in Germany enables workers to maximise their marginal productivity since machinery employed in Germany is more 2007-07-20T15:05:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Establishing-a-Common-Market-for-Labor-33295.aspx It is undeniable that man, in its general sense, is one of the most complicated creatures in the world. People vary based on their unique characters and emotional features; some of them are usually sad and some others are usually happy. In my point of view, we are born to enjoy our lives and happiness is a key to achieve this goal. Due to the fact that human being is very complicated in emotional and feeling aspects, it is very difficult to describe the emotions certainly and scientifically. However, some fundamental factors such as our physical status, expectation to 2007-06-25T07:47:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Role-of-Happiness-in-Our-Life-33269.aspx The Leaders fault or the Ambassador’s fault In times of negotiations people forget the actual role that ambassadors are suppose to play for their country. An ambassador is a political puppet controlled by the leader of a nation and is suppose to convey only what they were instructed by their leader. It’s frustrating for a committee to listen to an ambassador blow out a lot of hot air. The thing is they shouldn’t be angry at the ambassador, but at the person instructing the ambassador which most often is the leader. It’s frustrating because it shows how the side trying to gain some ground runs into a diplomat who’s been told to be stubborn. The west makes this mistake more often because people assume a lie is being told and being that westerners have a one track mind that doesn’t help to see the other side. In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis was occurring and Khrushchev was instructing his diplomats on what to say to prevent every nation who wasn’t aware from knowing what the Soviets were doing in Cuba. The only nation aware at the time was the United States. Then Khrushchev’s Ambassador to the United States Andrei Gromyko arrived in Washington D.C to talk to President Kennedy. Kennedy thought Gromyko was lying the whole time they talked, but actually Gromyko was acting as he was directed by Premier Khrushchev. Proving political discussions can be deceiving if not followed correctly. The American politicians were sold Gromyko was lying and what they weren’t aware of was Gromyko was doing his job for the Soviets. Premier Khrushchev was running a political puppet show and his puppets were the ambassadors who came into western countries saying the missiles would be for defensive purposes only. Ambassador Gromyko was one of Khrushchev’s puppets that almost convinced the U.S to allow missiles to be kept in Cuba. The dangers of puppetry politics is that the side listening does not know whether the person is bluffing or trying to make you believe something that’s not true. North Korea’s leader, Iran’s leader have their puppet politicians tell the United Nations and the United States that they’ll shut down their nuclear programs. Then once the United States and United Nations along with the world are sold on that happening, Iran along with North Korea secretly start up again leaving every non-western nation clueless because 2007-06-23T22:58:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-Diplomacy-and-Politics-in-1962-and-today-2007-33264.aspx A STUDY INVESTIGATING THE EXTENT OF INTERNET USE, LEVELS OF INTERNET ADDICTION, AND RELATIONSHIPS As we enter into a new millennium, the Internet has provided us a new medium of communication that enables us to access vast amounts of information across a breadth of topics. Even though the Internet started of with the US department of defense and its attempt to establish a secure mode of communication between various research and military establishments, it has now evolved into a complex, fast-growing network linking various Internet servers throughout the world. Many consider the fantastic growth of Internet to be one of its most valuable assets. However, the seemingly endless growth of the Internet has not been completely without any controversy. Anecdotal evidence suggests that problems of harassment, stalking, and pornography have been related to excessive Internet use. Terms such as “Internet addiction” and “Pathological Computer use” (Goldberg, 1996 cited in King, 1996) have caught the attention of researchers. Considering the widespread growth of the Internet, various aspects of Internet use across demographic groups is an area of relevant research. One group, the college student population, may be particularly susceptible to problems related to Internet use, and more specifically – excessive Internet use. It has been shown that 28% of all Internet users are full time college students (Kandell, 1998). The students may become dependent on the Internet for a variety of reasons. Many students have been using the Internet for developing new relationships, or as a way of entertainment. Many of these online relationships also progress further and create problems later in life. Statement of the Problem The study investigated the degree of Internet addiction among the students of Assumption University (ABAC) and attempts to clarify the following research questions: 1. What percentage of the student population in Assumption University (ABAC) uses the Internet? 2. What is the level of Internet addiction (mild, moderate or severe) among Assumption University (ABAC) students? 3. What amount of time does a student of Assumption University spent on the Internet? 4. What types of interpersonal relationships are formed as a result of Internet use among students of Assumption University (ABAC)? What are the levels of these relationships (friendly, emotional, intimate)? 5. What relationships exist between demographic information (age group, gender, student status), Internet use variables (preferred activity on the Internet, time spent on the Internet), and relationships on the Internet? 6. What are the 2007-06-05T14:04:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Study-of-Internet-Addiction-33256.aspx Love does not exist. It's official. This “love” I am referring to is, by definition between the two people of the opposite sex. Disregarding any parent-child bond which is entirely a different matter and is indeed actually just a case of admiration, neutral respect, response from a object and physical need which was demonstrated by Harlow and Harlow and Conrad Lorenz. Imagine this. An attractive girl (or boy) depending on your gender has just walked past. Of course apparently beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but everyone finds something beautiful and this person catches your eye, and just imagine, they catch yours back. You get talking and start to date. Now I imagine that according to “true love” this is the person you keep thinking about. The one person who you are upset about when you are apart. The $100m question is why. Is it because they're nice to talk to, funny, smart, entertaining or any other factor other then their looks AND gender? Of course it isn't or we'd all be upset when all our friends left the room. As with the maternal deprivation hypothesis (Bowlby 1969) innate programming also exists for physical attractiveness. From the moment your born the ideal partner is in your head but no one, not even yourself knows who it is. It could be the shape of them, the eye colour or hair colour but it is programmed into you. Try it. Think of all the people you've ever found attractive and think what do the majority of them have in common. As Darwin dared to suggest with evolution and survival of the fittest, the evidence for this is all in front of us. Record number of marriages split up, cheats and divorces. And why? Because the other partner was not physically attractive enough. There is no “love” just a shared lust for each person based on the natural desires that do not change with age. I stop short of a critical period for this “love” to happen in but suggest it is still there as people age they change in looks so the “relationship” ends. A look-a-like “replacement” is found. People can't help cheating on someone else, its the natural instinct. Of course morals in this world would make the ego regret it but they cant help someone who finds another more attractive. Age is also a preprogrammed factor but 2007-05-13T17:31:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gareth-Burnett-on-Human-Interaction-and-Development-Theory-33207.aspx In America, we have two types of people: one who are conscious about their health, and the other who are conscious about their beauty. We live in a society where one is judged on their appearance, and how they present themselves. Whereas, some are more concerned with their health, and beauty holds little or no value to them. I believe our society is more beauty conscious than heath conscious. Our society is after the perfect body image, where they would do anything to achieve that. There are numerous amounts of diet plans, and pills out there, which one can consume to get an enhanced body. People spend more than their whole years worth of income and savings to improve their image. Sometimes it seems as if, their life purpose is to look and feel better. So many television shows are created for those people who don’t dress to the norms of society. They are brought in front of millions of people, humiliated and then dressed till desirable, and told to go home and maintain that look. Beauty and fashion industry is a multi billion-dollar business contributed towards the ideal beauty and fashions. Models are a certain weight and they walk on the ramp to show the whole world that this is perfection, and this is how everyone should look like. Latest and most expensive cloths, jewelry, and makeup are put on their body convey their message. If one cant achieves their perfect body goals, one would go to the extreme of cosmetic or plastic surgery. Due to looking a certain way, there is a huge population of people who want to fit in so badly, that they take drastic measures into making themselves look beautiful. This is where serious health disorders like Anorexia, Bulimia, and Compulsive Overeating Disorder enters. It destroys people’s lives and to some, it leads them to their deaths. The drive to perfection leads to deeper wounds of insecurity and lack of self-confidence, which takes an extensive time to heal. Younger and younger girls are feeling the lack of confidence and don’t think they are good enough. Mother are telling their daughters they should look and dress a certain way or else they would not achieve what they want to. You cannot go a mile on the road without looking at a gorgeous face, make up advertisements, or diet plan commercial. Everywhere you glance, there is the message 2007-05-11T03:23:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Health-Conscious-or-Beauty-Conscious-33197.aspx Question 1 (a) ‘The production possibilities frontier is the boundary between those combinations of goods and services that can be produced and those that cannot’ (McTaggart, Findlay & Parkin, 2007). The PPF compares two products and a model economy is used where everything remains the same (ceteris paribus), i.e. production cost, demand and supply etc remain the same. Here is an example of a PPF using two goods, milk and steak. On the x-axis there is the amount of milk which can be produced in litres and on the y-axis there is the amount of steak which can be produced in kilograms. Each position on the PPF is efficient. It uses all the resources available. Any point within the area of the PPF is obtainable, but resources are being wasted. For example, if there are 10 cows that can either be used for producing milk or steak, and we milk one and slaughter the other, the other eight are out on the field eating grass not producing anything, i.e. we could be either milking them or slaughtering them. Any point outside of the PPF is unobtainable, as there are not enough resources available. The marginal cost is the cost of producing one more unit of it. The gradient of the PPF shows the marginal cost. As more steak is produced, the marginal cost of producing milk increases. That is, the more cows that we slaughter, the less milk we are able to produce. The marginal benefit is the benefit received from consuming one more unit of it. Marginal benefit is measured by the most that someone is willing to pay for another unit. As all points on the PPF are efficient, which one point on the PPF is more important than any other? It is the point where the resources are allocated efficiency, that is, we are not trading off another good that we value higher than the other. This point is found when the marginal cost is equal to the marginal benefit. As we can see, the point of intersection of the marginal benefit and marginal cost shows us the most efficient amount to produce, in this case, 5 units of steak and 20 units of milk. (b) ‘There are two major influences which affect economic growth. They are technological change and capital accumulation. Technological change is the development of 2007-05-09T00:29:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Introduction-to-Economics-33193.aspx A Culture of Consumerism "You are what you buy." In one way or another, everyone’s identity is related to the products that they purchase. Nearly every product on the market is directed towards a certain group of people, whether it is based on their gender, age, or even their income level. Trying to target a particular group of people is one of advertisers biggest concerns. Some products, such as make-up, are always directed at females ranging from teenagers to middle age women, other products such as cars are usually directed at middle-age males. Advertisers could not care less who buys their product, but directing their ads towards a certain group of people will result in higher sales. Though there are exceptions to the statement, “you are what you buy”, the product a consumer purchases is generally based on either their gender, age, or income level, just as the marketer intended. The majority of products on the market today are directed towards either a male or a female. Different toys, clothing, make-up, and even cars are just a few of the products normally directed towards a particular gender. Whether the advertisement has a male in it or it has a setting in the woods, it is clearly implying that the product is targeted towards males. Just as if an advertisement has a pink background or all females in it, it is directed towards a female. It would be very awkward to have a male model for a commercial on cover girl products, because that product just was not made for a man. Nearly every toy is made for either a male or female. Looking at the toys I had when I was little such as GI Joes and Transformers, one would guess I was a little boy. Other toys I owned such as remote control cars or squirt guns would still generally be for a boy, but probably a boy who is a little bit older than I was when I was playing with action figures. There are some toys I have owned my entire life like sports equipment that would still imply that the consumer was a male, but not of any particular age. Toys possibly suggesting the consumer was a little girl would include Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, or playhouses. Once the girl was more 2007-05-04T17:18:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Culture-of-Consumerism-33187.aspx The Incidense Of Tuberculosis Among Low Income People Summary This paper explores whether the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is higher among low income people because they are less likely to seek medical care. It investigates two urban districts that compare in terms of race and income level, these being Harlem and West Central, USA. To determine the role of race and economic disadvantage in the incidence of tuberculosis in these geographic areas, ethnographic methods were used to analyze the information. It appears that there are significant race and class dimensions to the incidence of tuberculosis in these areas, but there are other confounding factors – such as (human immunodeficiency virus) HIV and the times at which sufferers sought medical help. This study suggests that there is a pressing need to improve our understanding of the socio-economic aspects of problems affecting public health, such as TB in the United States. Background i. Statement of the problem People in economically disadvantaged positions living in medically under-served communities are at an increased risk for tuberculosis. The disease does continue to be a barometer of poverty and race, but there are other significant factors associated with the incidence of TB. Studies in South Africa suggest that those qualified as black or coloured had significantly less access to health care, and thus stood less chance of being diagnosed than their white counterparts (Andersson 1990). Those in this disadvantaged condition tended to suffer disproportionately from other socio-economic related medical factors, such as malnutrition and incidence of HIVAIDS that are closely linked with the incidence of TB. The pattern is similar in other countries, including the USA. The problem in the United States is that there is limited population-based data on TB by social class (Lifson et al. 1999). There is even less data on the incidence of seeking medical care between the onset of symptoms and the visit to a medical center. The incidence of TB is indeed higher among low income people because they are less likely to seek medical care. But the objective of this study is to suggest that there are other critical factors in the complex social dimension of public health problems associated with TB. These will be discussed in parts iii and iv of this section. 2007-05-04T17:11:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Incidense-Of-Tuberculosis-Among-Low-Income-People-33183.aspx During college years it is very common, if not habitual for students to consume alcohol on the weekends and sometimes during the week. Because alcohol is so readily available and usually present at every college party, drinking becomes “the thing to do”. Social drinking on the weekends is one thing, but many take it much farther than that. Some students look to get wasted or belligerently intoxicated. When students get into the habit of abusing alcohol to get drunk on a consistent basis this becomes a problem, and the disease known as alcoholism can develop. As a college student it becomes clear to me that some of my peers and acquaintances are developing signs of abusive drinking and in some cases signs of alcoholism have already begun to set in. Because of these reasons, I am curious to find out what alcoholism is, the signs and symptoms of alcoholism, possible causes, risk factors leading to alcoholism, screening and diagnosis, possible treatments, and how to avoid becoming an alcoholic. Gaining knowledge about this topic is important to me because of my connection with people who are family members of alcoholics, as well as individuals who may be potential alcoholics. Alcoholism can be defined as an addiction to the consumption to alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from physical dependence of alcohol (dictionary.com). Because it is a physical dependence, and affects the brain, alcoholism is a very difficult illness to be cured of. What ultimately triggers the onset of alcoholism in the brain is debated; the fact of the matter is it is onset in terms of the drinkers relationship with alcohol. According to collegedrinkingprevention.gov use, misuse, heavy use, abuse, addiction and dependence are the common labels used to describe drinking habits. Use refers to simple use alcohol; an individual who drinks any alcoholic beverage is using alcohol. Misuse, heavy use, and problem use suggest consumption of alcohol beyond the point where it causes physical, social, or moral harm to the individual. Abuse and dependence are defined as a preoccupation with the consumption of alcohol, and a physical desire to consume alcohol. In addition to these levels of alcohol use and misuse, there are four symptoms described by collegedrinkingprevention.gov, these are craving; a strong need, or urge to drink, loss of control; not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun, physical dependence; withdrawal symptoms, such 2007-05-01T22:49:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alcoholism-a-Serious-Disease-33174.aspx The Effects of Music Therapy on Mentally Handicapped Music therapy is a controversial but effective form of rehabilitation on mentally handicapped people. A great amount of research has been completed on this subject. It has been proven that our brains respond to music as if it were medicine. Music therapy is not a commonly used health care, but recent studies have suggested it can have a wide range of benefits. Music therapy is the prescribed use of music and related strategies, by a qualified therapist, to assist or motivate a person towards specific, non-musical goals. This process is used in order to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological, and spiritual health and well being. At the heart of music therapy is vibration. This is backed up by modern physics, which has taught us that all matter is in a constant state of vibration. Everything has a unique frequency. Illness occurs when some sort of dysfunctional vibration intrudes on the normal one. Sound can be used to change these intruders back to normal, healthy vibrations, which restores health. Although music therapy is a fairly new method of health care, it dates back thousands of years. “The use of sound and music is the most ancient healing modality.” It was practiced in the ancient mystery schools of Egypt, India, and Rome for many thousands of years. In the Iliad, Apollo, the mythical god of music and medicine, stopped a plague because he was so pleased with the sacred hymns sung by Greek youths. Pythagoras, who discovered that all music could be expressed in numbers and mathematical formulas, founded a school that trained students to release worry, fear, anger, and sorrow through singing and playing musical instruments. Today, the power of music remains the same, but music is used much differently than it was in ancient times. Music therapy in the United States began in the late 18th century. The profession of it began to develop during World War II when music was used in Veterans Administration Hospitals, as an intervention to address traumatic war injuries. Veterans participated in music activities that focused on relieving pain perception. Many doctors and nurses could see the effect music had on their psychological and emotional state. 2007-04-25T20:50:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Music-Therapy-on-Mentally-Handicapped-33153.aspx Australia In The World Economy Australia is quite a rich economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head of population, ranking 17th in the world. However, this has dropped from a ranking of fourth in 1950, and ninth in 1970. This could be seen as a sign of poor economic performance, however other factors that contribute towards a high standard of living, such as environmental considerations, need to be taken into account. For much of the period up to the 1960s most of Australia’s exports were in wool, food and other commodities. Since the mid 1970s iron ore and other ores have been a significant export. Heavy dependence on overseas markets and inflows of capital and people meant that when the world economy turned down, we were severely hit. In the mid 1970s, early 1980s and early 1990s we were hit by slowdowns in world trade and industrial growth in the major economies. Up until the 1960s the United Kingdom was our most important customer and provider of imports. Since then, Asia has increased in importance as a customer and provider of manufactured goods. In recent years, we have also seen growth in exports from the services sector – for example, tourism and foreign students paying to study in Australia. It is apparent from research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that the make up of Australia’s export commodities has changed significantly from the traditional dominance of rural products. Three main changes stand out. Firstly, the decline in the relative importance of our rural exports. In 1950 textile fibers made up 65 per cent of the value of our merchandise exports, and in 1997 it only accounted for 10 per cent. Secondly, the strong growth in exports of minerals and fuels. And lastly, the growth in the export of services. This is largely the product of expansion in the tourist industry and the development of education and health and financial services exports. The destination of Australian exports has also changed significantly since 1950. The United Kingdom then accounted for 39 per cent of our exports, and in 1997 it only accounted for 7 per cent. Conversely, in 1950 Japan received only 4 per cent of our merchandise exports, and it now receives 23 per cent, while 2007-04-25T20:40:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Australia-In-The-World-Economy-33150.aspx Social Interaction in Public Places I learned a lot when I observed the diverse groups of people in the atmosphere of the restaurant, T. J. I. Fridays. I learned that the place is very sociological and very easy to observe and listen in on people’s conversations. I took a couple hours out of my night to eat at the Fridays located next to Rosedale mall. It is a fairly active place especially when I went on a Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. I sat in smoking which was located fairly close to the bar giving me a very social crowd to observe. While I observed I was covert-active because I was a part of the whole scene, but I didn’t tell them I was observing. When I arrived and was seated, I couldn’t help to see my first group of victims. They looked to be an older group of a men’s softball team. Their status symbols were represented by the softball uniforms they all wore, topped with matching hats. The group showed a strong sense of social cohesion with the way they were bonded by their uniforms, hats, and interest in softball and beer. This went to show me that a group having many similarities will be very close and friendly like I had observed. While the team got up and left, I couldn’t help to notice the two women sitting to my left. They were well into their forties and both were smoking cigarettes and drinking some sort of a tropical drink. They both were very dramatic in their words and expressions as they expressed their feelings to each other about someone they both knew. This reflects on their roles in society as being dramatic and very social. I assumed these women had very similar background assumptions with the way they both were dressed in the same manner and showed signs of drinking and smoking. Also, mechanical solidarity is shown here because of all their likenesses. As I glanced towards the bar, I spotted two elderly men sitting together on bar stools, mumbling to each other things that went to show of how much of a man each of them were. From their dirty work clothes, flushed faces along with somewhat red eyes, I assumed these men had consumed 2007-04-23T04:21:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Interaction-in-Public-Places-33106.aspx Moguls In India Moguls were a Muslim dynasty in India from fifteen twenty-six to about eighteen fifty-seven. Let’s first define the word Mogul. The word Mogul means an Indian Muslim of or descended from one of several conquering groups of Mongol, Turkish, and Persian origin. The word Mogul is the Arabic and Persian version of Mongol. The Moguls were a Muslim dynasty founded in fifteen twenty-six by a man named Babur. Babur was a descendent of both Genghis Kahn and Timur. The dynasty ruled much of the Indian subcontinent until the mid eighteenth century. Babur claimed the subcontinent as his right of inheritance because of the conquest of Delhi by his ancestor Timur. Babur was a highly cultured man from Persia who disliked many facets of Indian life but nonetheless established the most glorious empire in India’s history. Babur reigned util fifteen thirty and was a man of culture as well as a military genius. Babur defeated the last Lodi kind of the Delhi Sultanate at Panipat. He then established a policy of tolerance toward his Hindu subjects even though he disliked India. Babur had a son named Humayun. Humayun ruled from fifteen thirty to about fifteen-forty. Ten years or so. And again from fifteen fifty-five to fifteen fifty-six. He ruled despite the challenge mounted by the Afghan Sher Shah who ruled north India for five years. Humayun spent most of his reign attempting to consolidate Mogul rule over Baburs conquests. Humayun had a son named Akbar. Akbar was said to be the greatest of all Moguls in India. Akbar and hi successors, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Auramgzeb are generally considered to be one of the finest group’s of kings that ever ruled in succession over such a long period of time. Akbar built the administrative machinery that forms the basis for many present day practices in India. Akbar was one of the most tolerant Moguls in India. Akbar abolished a discriminatory tax on Hindus and did much to combine Hindu and Muslim motifs in palace architecture, art, literature and music. Akbars son and successor Jahangir was a heavy drinker who reveled in luxurious living. Jahangir’s son Shah Jahan followed very closely in his father’s footsteps. He too was a 2007-04-23T03:49:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Moguls-In-India--33092.aspx Mediocrity In America Sinclair Lewis's Babbitt is a satirical depiction of the mediocrity of business America. Lewis's anger with the mass conformity of the 1920s businessman is portrayed through his middle-class protagonist George F. Babbitt - the embodiment of the materialism, hypocrisy and ignorance by which Lewis is so appalled. Lewis portrays Zenith's middle-class citizens as similarly standard, completely defined by their comfortable, homogenized world. Babbitt recognizes and then seeks to expose the hypocrisy and emptiness of middle class life, but he only succeeds in realizing that he is trapped by his way of life. Lewis uses Babbitt as a vehicle to show the reader America's radical homogenization of lifestyles, activities, and ultimately, views on life and themselves. George Follensbee Babbitt is a 46-year-old real-estate broker who lives in Zenith, a midwestern urban center of which Babbitt is especially fond. Both Zenith and its inhabitants are characterized with a depressing sameness. Lewis never reveals the location of the city, and if "a stranger suddenly dropped into the business-center of Zenith he could not have told whether he was in a city of Oregon or Georgia, Ohio or Maine, Oklahoma or Manitoba" (53.) This ambiguous city is home to Babbitt and his family, who live in a moderately expensive and modern house that is almost identical to every other house lining the groomed streets in their stereotypical neighborhood. Lewis describes that although their house has "the best of taste, the best of inexpensive rugs, a simple and laudable architecture, and the latest conveniences…it {has} nothing to do with the Babbitts, nor anyone else" (15.) Babbitt's desire for his house to be like everyone else's is based on the idea that if his house fits the homogenized mold, then he can never be accused of not having an adequate and luxurious lifestyle. The downfall to Babbitt's strategy is that their house has no personality, no individuality. "It {is} not a home" (15.) This lack of personality is all too apparent in other aspects of Babbitts life, such as how he chooses to occupy his time. Every morning Babbitt wakes up, gets in his mediocre car, and drives through Zenith to the tall building where he works amidst a sea of other Babbitts. He lunches at the Zenith Athletic Club, which Lewis describes as "not athletic, {not} exactly a club, 2007-04-23T03:43:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mediocrity-In-America-33087.aspx Homosexuality in Modern Society What is homosexuality? Homosexuality is the manifestation of sexual desire toward a member of one's own sex or the erotic activity with a member of the same sex. (The Greek word homos means "the same"). A lesbian is a female homosexual. More recently the term "gay" has come into popular use to refer to both sexes who are homosexuals. Dr. Strauss's definition fails to differentiate between homosexual orientation (i.e. same sex feelings of attraction) and homosexual behavior (i.e. sexual activity with a member of the same gender). Many people have been taught during childhood that homosexual behavior is condemned both by God and by their religion as unnatural and morally degenerate. If they discover later in life that they are lesbian, gay, or bisexual they often go through a spiritual crisis. Too many realize that their sexual orientation is unchangeable, and that they cannot go through life as someone that they have been taught to hate; they commit suicide. (About 30% of teen suicides are due to this cause; one of the costs of homophobia). Survivors experience a conflict between what they are and what they believe. They sometimes abandon their religion. Some become enthusiastically anti-religious. When discrimination against a minority group is condoned by a religion, government or society, then the most extreme forms of hatred are released. We have seen this in its most extreme form of genocide, rape and "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia, directed against Muslims and others. We see hatred in our own public schools, directed against gay and lesbian students. School administrations which ignore the problem are, in effect, declaring open season on sexual minorities. The word "homophobia" originally meant "fear of homosexuals or of homosexuality." But the English language is in a continuous state of flux. Words develop different meanings as people develop a new consensus on their definition. This is why older translations of the Bible (e.g. the King James Bible of 1611 CE) are difficult for many people to read. Homophobia is an attitude; homophobe is a person who exhibits homophobia; homophobic is an adjective. But the word "homophobia" is hopelessly inadequate to cover the full range of people's negative beliefs about individuals of minority sexual orientations. For example, some people: actively work towards defining homosexuals as a minority group which should be deprived of those fundamental human 2007-04-19T21:43:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Homosexuality-in-Modern-Society-33067.aspx The Never Ending Disease of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder characterized by a dysfunctional thinking process and withdrawal from the outside world. The word schizophrenia comes from two Greek words schizo which means split and phrenia, which means mind. This doesn’t mean that a person with the disorder has multiple personalities, but rather parts of the mind seem to be operating independent of each other. The disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people and there are thought to be over 2 million schizophrenics in the United States today. Schizophrenia has been found to be a biologically based brain disease due to the imbalance of two of the brains chemicals dopamine and serotonin. In the brain of a schizophrenic there are elevated dopamine and serotonin activity. The cause of the disease is still unknown, but some of the most accepted theories are genetics, a biochemical imbalance, an early viral infection, or birth trauma. Generally, schizophrenia has a major impact on thinking and functioning, impairing a person’s ability to care for themselves and to respond to surroundings in a civilized manner. In the diagnosing of schizophrenia, there are 5 different types to be diagnosed as. One of the major types is Disorganized Schizophrenia. This is characterized by disorganized thinking, speech, and poor concentration. There is also a lack of emotional expression and inappropriate emotional response to certain situations. There are also no really well established delusions that may characterize it. One other major type of schizophrenia is Paranoid Schizophrenia. The main character of this is delusions. The delusions are usually paranoid, but tend to occasionally be grandiose. There are also hallucinations and there frequently episodes of voices inside the head. One other symptom is high anxiety and a high level of argumentativeness. Catatonic Schizophrenia has more of a physical notability. A rigid body, a very odd posture, and repetitive motioning are the main characteristics, which are together called catatonia. A Catatonic Schizophrenic is also very unresponsive to surroundings. There are 2 other types of schizophrenia, and they are Undifferentiated and Residual. Undifferentiated is characterized by symptoms that tend to match either none or more that 1 of the above types of schizophrenia. Residual Schizophrenia is characterized by rare episodes of attack and there are less severe symptoms after the initial attack. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is not an easy process and diagnosis is looked into very seriously and extensively. Characteristic 2007-04-19T21:07:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Never-Ending-Disease-of-Schizophrenia-33044.aspx Globalization and the Challenges of a New Century The essay, The Myth of Global Ethnic Conflict by John R. Bowen, overlooks the work by Huntington, Kaplan, and Barber and their theories on ethnic conflict. Bowen states that there are three basic assumptions made about ethnic conflict. The three assumptions are: “ethnic identities are ancient and unchanging; that these identities motivate people to persecute and kill; and lastly, that ethnic diversity itself leads to violence.” He says that these are mistaken. He argues that ethnicities are a part of modern politics. He uses the example of the Balkans and how the Serb, Croats and Bosnians had different languages and different religious backgrounds but they learn to live in peace. The real reason any of the three civilizations clashed were because Ethnicity became nationalistic. Nationalistic, in a sense meaning, gain of land and power. Another key point to his argument is that colonial powers( like Britain, France, Germany) were the cause of ethnic identities or ethnic conflicts, in a sense. Colonial Powers would declare that each and every person have an ethnic identity. For instance, The Hutu and the Tutsis are a great example of colonial powers causing ethnic conflicts. The Belgians put the Tutsis in power. The Belgians gave the Tutsis more access to education, and since they were taller then the Hutu, Belgians made a height regulation to enter college. The Belgians showed segregation and separation between the Tutsis and the Hutu’s and this is what caused the Hutu to rebel and the arise of a civil war. Bowen also states that the ethnic conflicts arise from being pushed and threatened from the leaders who control the armies and the airwaves. He goes on to say that the fear from the top causes violent acts, not because of ethnic differences. Lastly, Bowen argues that there are two reasons for social peace or social conflict. First is “raw materials” a way of bridge-building, or a way to build political consensus. “Raw materials is a theory showing how conflict will arise if a central polity controls national politics, which makes smaller lesser power groups seek for allies to achieve goals.” The second reason for social peace or conflict is: the states making all the decisions for the groups. The decisions mainly dealing with political procedures, can have an effect on the groups, either cutback the tensions 2007-04-18T23:31:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Globalization-and-the-Challenges-of-a-New-Century-33037.aspx Effects of Negative Life Experiences on Individuals This is a review of literature that covers five studies on attachment. In each study it was concluded that negative life experiences could affect an individual and possibly change the attachment style they have with their parents from infancy. The four different attachment styles are Secure, Insecure-Avoidant, Insecure-Resistant, and Insecure-Disorganized. From the studies presented it was shown that each attachment style a child had with their parents could change due to negative life experiences. While studies of the development of attachment among children have been helpful in understanding the young minds of children, ages varying from one to seven. There are also studies of how certain kinds of attachment can affect you later in life especially if a negative life experience occurs. This paper will primarily discuss the effects of negative life experiences and how that affects an individual. Published data will be presented in this paper to show how a negative life experience can change an attachment style over a period of time (Infancy to adulthood). First, each attachment will be defined, attachment style will be discussed, and information about attachment will also be included. Attachment can be defined as an emotional bond between a child and their caregiver that developed over time, it is the most important form of social development that occurs during infancy. The attachment is expressed in behaviors such as approaching, following, clinging, and signaling (smiling, crying, and calling). It is believed that attachment evolves in the first year of life. Studies of attachment development, using the Strange Situation, were administered to infants and their mothers primarily after birth. The Strange Situation is a procedure between the mother and the child where the mother leaves her child in a room by him/herself. Depending on the child’s reaction to this they are characterized under one of the attachment styles. There are four kinds of attachments; the child is either characterized as Secure, Insecure-avoidant, Insecure-resistant, or Insecure-disorganized depending on how they react during the strange situation. When the mother left in the Ainsworth Strange Situation it was found that children with secure attachments were able to explore the area around their environment while the mother was gone from the room. The infant showed no sign of distress when she left or upon return. Secure children also 2007-04-18T20:13:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Negative-Life-Experiences-on-Individuals-33020.aspx The Gender Wage Gap Still Exists Wages in the work place are equal, right? This is the year 2002. We’ve come a long way past the negative stereotypes of June Clever. Women are just as proficient as men. Several pieces of legislation have been enacted in an attempt to solve the problem of gender-based wage inequality. Then why do we still have the difference in wages? The answer is clear. Gender-based inequality still exists in the American work place. The glass ceiling is an expression used to clarify the “invisible barrier” that limits advancement in the course of a number of women’s careers. There is documentation which states that women deal with challenges in their career that men will never face. Some of these challenges that women deal with are negative female stereotypes, increased visibility due to being a minority, exclusion from formal mentoring structures and negative valuation in management/leadership roles (Monks and Barker). The glass ceiling phenomenon lists three models: the human capital model, the ruling elite model, and the developmental model (Daley). The human capital model describes results in relation to individual distinctiveness. When the ratio of women to men in the labor force is observed, the actual number of women in executive titles is lacking due to the lack of expertise, experience, skill and the decisions they have chosen. The ruling elite model suggests that women are not as successful in their careers due to the views of society. Female characteristics and negative stereotypes have hindered women and forced them to choose traditional careers or not allow them to hold supervisory titles. The developmental model views the glass ceiling as a short-term hindrance that training and development will solve. This model fails to acknowledge contributing factors of discrimination and the negative view of society (Daley). President Kennedy passed the Equal Pay Act into a law in 1963. The Equal Pay Act forbids discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages or benefits where men and women perform equal or substantially equal work of similar skill, effort, and responsibility for the same employer under similar working conditions. Employers may not reduce wages of another employee to equalize the wage. The Equal Pay Act addresses no more than the topic of gender-based wage discrimination. A policy targeted to deteriorate gender discrimination, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, broadens the standard for 2007-04-18T20:04:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Gender-Wage-Gap-Still-Exists-33016.aspx Cross Cultural Psychology The fathers in the video played different roles during the birth of their children. Manoel Oliveira wasn’t present during the birth of his son Sydney, while David Kaufman was with his wife Barbara from the start of labor until the end of delivery. There are varying reasons for the different roles that the two fathers played in the births. The two fathers were from very different cultures. Manoel and his family live in Brazil, and the Kaufmans are from New York City. These two cultures expend different expectations on the role that a mother and father should play in a child’s life from birth. The Oliveira family is large and Maria takes care of the children while Manoel works to support them. Sydney will be their 6th child, and Manoel is at work when Maria goes into labor. It is not financially feasible for Manoel to leave work to be with his wife while she gives birth to their son. In contrast, David Kaufman waits for the day their baby will be born and is just as excited as his wife. As a result it’s ok for him to take off of work to be with his wife, it would be strange if he chose to be at work instead. American society looks down on fathers who don’t see their children and families as a number one priority. So, David stays in the delivery room with Barbara from start to finish, and they gaze at their daughter together for the first time. It’s a bonding experience for the whole family. The differences in the roles of these two fathers at the birth of their children have everything to do with the culture they were raised in. David was probably taught from an early age that a father should be a large part of his children’s lives, or it’s been ingrained by the mass media, and peers. The workings of a culture involve shared customs, values, and behavior. This includes marriage practices, and parental roles. These things are taught to and learned by individuals in that culture, as a result from a young age children begin to know the role they should have in the world when they grow up. Another difference in the culture of Brazil and that of the U.S. is that Brazil is more of a Collectivistic society, while America is 2007-04-18T18:34:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cross-Cultural-Psychology-33009.aspx Child Development and the Effects of Television Violence Violence on Television "There was murderers going around killing lots of people and stealing jewelry." This quote comes from the mouth of an eight year old girl after watching the evening news on television. The eight year old girl claims that she is afraid "when there is a murder near because you never know if he could be in town" (Cullingford, 61). A recent report from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) pools evidence from over 2,500 studies within the last decade on over 100,000 subjects from several nations to show that the compiled evidence of television's influence on behavior is so "overwhelming" that there is a consensus in the research community that "violence on television does lead to aggressive behavior" (Methvin, 49). Given that the majority of scientific community agrees that "the research findings of the NIMH publication support conclusion of a causal relationship between television violence and aggressive behavior" (Wurtzel, 21), why is it that "the Saturday morning "kid vid ghetto" is the most violent time on T.V." (Methvin, 49), and that "despite slight variations over the past decade, the amount of violence on television has remained at consistently high levels" (Wurtzel, 23)? Why is it that, like the tobacco companies twenty years ago, the present day television broadcasting companies refuse to consent that violent films and programming can and do have harmful effects on their viewers (Rowland, 280) What can be done to combat the stubborn minded broadcasting companies and to reduce the amount of violent scenes that infest the current air waves? The television giants of today, such as ABC, CBS, and NBC continue to air violent shows, because they make money off of these programs. In general, society finds scenes of violence "simply exciting" (Feshbach, 12). Broadcasting companies argue that "based on the high ratings, they are giving the public what it wants, and therefore are serving the public interest" (Time, 77). Michael Howe states: "We have to remember that children and adults do enjoy and do choose to watch those programs that contain violence" (48). At the same time, however, we must also remember the undeniable truth that "there is clear evidence between television violence and later aggressive behavior" (Palmer, 120). Because violent television has been proven time and time again to play an active role toward inciting hostile behavior in children, the level of combative 2007-04-18T18:33:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Child-Development-and-the-Effects-of-Television-Violence-33008.aspx Child Development and the Effects of Spanking Studies of the incidence and intensity of spanking often provide evidence that most parents have spanked their children. About 90% of parents in the United States report having spanked their children (Day 80). In a research project done using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, researchers examined the antecedents of parents’ spanking behavior. This study represents an important step forward in understanding the profile of parents who spank their children. Even though the study had little theoretical orientation from which spanking could be predicted, it showed that younger mothers spank much more frequently than older mothers; that younger children are spanked more than older children, and that higher levels of socioeconomic status are associated with the decreases in spanking. It also showed that mothers with lower education, mothers living in the south and mothers who are African American reported increased levels of corporal punishment; and that mothers reporting higher levels of religiosity also spanked more (Day 80). Consistent use of corporal punishment has been an indicator of less effective parenting and is commonly linked to socialization out comes such as delinquency, low self-esteem, and social incompetence (Day 81). The child’s temperament and personality directly affect the parents ability to employ non physical discipline strategies. Consequently, children who are perceived as difficult are more likely to be spanked than those who are not perceived as difficult (Day 81). Older parents who have more education will have more experience raising children, will know more about alternative and nonpunitive strategies of discipline, and will have a greater sense of personal maturity and self-control, all of which may reduce inclinations to spank (Day 81). There is a widely held tradition in western civilization that "sparing the rod spoils the child" (Day 81). Spanking is deeply rooted in the history and culture of our nation as well as in our own personal experiences. Some people point to the Bible as supporting, even requiring, physical punishment. Those who subscribe to this argument misunderstand and misuse scripture (Epoch 3). When parents are working and are not on public assistance, they have a greater ability to provide necessities and extras for their children. Economic independence may lead to a greater sense of personal worth. This higher self-worth should convert into more competent parenting, an important link to non-punitive discipline (Day 82). Single mothers have been 2007-04-18T18:28:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Child-Development-and-the-Effects-of-Spanking-33006.aspx Anthropology of Neandrethals Personally, I think that I am a Neanderthal. Of course, we all know that that is almost impossible. However, what if there is just the smallest possibility? Neanderthal man supposedly became extinct almost 30,000 years ago, yet the possibility exist that Neanderthal man may be living among us. The anthropological record is full of similar being with parallel lines of evolution. In many respects, the ancestors of man have, at one point, lived with at least one other evolutionary member. Having that in mind, why would it not be possibly for Neanderthals to still co-habitat with modern man at this age in time? One morning almost 300,000 years ago, the sun arose to a new epic in earth’s history. The hominids that we would learn to call Neanderthal began to take steeps on the world. At first, just the sight of these strong robust beings must have struck fear into the heart of those that they preyed upon. Usually not standing over five feet 5 inches at 185 pounds (Encarta 1). These hominoids were physically powerful and with the current archeological evidence powerful in mind. Having a brain somewhat larger than modern humans do, many researchers are theorizing that Neanderthals had a complex social structure. Yet, with their strong body and mind they some how fell of the face of the earth. Alternatively, could it be that they simply adapted to a new environment, improvised ways to live in that new environment and eventually over came adversity. The bodies of Neanderthals were perfectly adapted the Upper Pleistocene. In an era where ice ruled, the world size really mattered. Being short in stature insured that Neanderthals were able to stay quite comfortably warm. Along with their extremely strong physic, they became perfectly adapted to the world they lived in. They were able to hunt some of the largest mammals that the world had to offer. That is were it is believed that the Neanderthal social structure may have evolved. In a world where prey animals such as the Irish elk stood 7 feet tall at the shoulder with antlers that stretched for 12 feet, Neanderthals must have had to hunt in groups. It is possible that the groups may have been composed of family groups, yet it is thought that they eventually formed small tribes. As the old saying goes “There is safety in 2007-04-18T18:21:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anthropology-of-Neandrethals-33001.aspx Economic Development In Lithuania Economic development is the major topic for discussions and debates in the developing as well as developed countries at the present time. All levels of society somehow make contributions to slowing or, on the contrary, encouraging and fastening the process of economic development. Beginning from the lowest working class and ending with the highest top management level class, development is affected directly or in other ways by these citizens. Apparently, the understanding of what development is and how it might be implemented differs in various levels of classes; however, the goal is the same for everyone, that is achieve social and economic stability by creating opportunities for self improvement and vocational prosperity to accelerate the pace of the development. The modern world at the present time is at a constant stage of liberalization and globalization. These are the key factors that push economy forward. By the saying liberalization, I mean the liberal worldview that is being shaped in the modern societies. Many developed countries now profess political stream of socialism, for example Scandinavian countries, France and Spain. However, due to the global economic and social life, their worldview is very liberal. And very few countries now prosper propagating a closed system of market. Societies of the modern world become more and more involved in a global market, therefore expanding the attitude of the people about the overall economy. On the other hand, looking at the Asian Tigers example, a controversial outcome can be noticed where dictatorship is positively correlated with economic growth. For instance, China is famous for its stern policies due to liberalization of society. People are still oppressed by constant government control over their lives. However, globalization cannot be avoided at least in an extent of peoples’ social life. No matter how dictatorial governments are, they still invest huge amounts of money into education. Students’ knowledge is expanding therefore affecting their future vision of the country they live in. Globalization has been showing its power and importance in the world economy over the last fifty years. World Trade Organization has become one of the main pushing forces in global economic environment. It unifies different countries with the goal that every country-member has, that is economic prosperity and expansion of trade. Globalization affects a 2007-04-18T15:23:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Development-In-Lithuania-32998.aspx Developing Countries and the World Economy The world economy has many Developing Nations. Today, I am here to talk about the role of financial institutions such as the World Bank and aid organizations such as CAA and the success of current strategies in promoting development. The basis of international institutions and organizations roles are assisting developing countries to improve their development performance. The development of economies is enhanced from change from simple forms of organization and production to complex modern ones such as the role played by financial institutions such as the World Bank and aid organizations such as CAA. As this is the subject of development economics, Developing countries as whole economies can be poor; or they can grow but still leave large sections of their people in poverty. A developing country can be a result of many characteristics: resources, historical background, population, economic structure and system. They are basically under developed country that reflects a failure to gain levels of living throughout most of their population. Yet there has been a significant improvement by these countries general level of living as growth. The information I will be discussing will be relevant to what is the World Bank and what is its focus? What is the CAA as an aid organization? what is economic development and how it can be improved?, distinguishing the similarities among under developed countries with examples, the strategies implemented and how successful are financial institutions and aid organizations. If we look at Economic growth, it does not necessarily ensure that economic development has occurred. Factors that influence growth is, increased production, the level of production sustainable, distinguishing growth as basically a mean of increase in national out put of more goods and services; and development, growth with structural change or process by which widespread improvements in levels of living are generated and sustained. Typically, in the early stages of development economies have most of their production and labor force in agriculture. The GDP measures are fundamentally economic growth measure of developing countries. This can be used as aggregate measure of the countries national product or income used in both Gross Domestic Product and Gross National product. The real GDP and GNP contribute to the developmental outcomes significantly. Increasing per capita is associated with education levels of population, increasing life expectancy and increasing health standards. There 2007-04-18T15:20:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Developing-Countries-and-the-World-Economy-32996.aspx Social Psychology and Theories on Racism Aversive racism is a term use by Gaertner and Dovido to describe white Americans who have been socialized by the racial history of American culture, along with the cognitive tendency to categorize information which results in subtle, yet commonplace racial beliefs and feelings, while keeping strong egalitarian values. This keeps the aversive racist stuck between their learned negative view of other races and their egalitarian values and beliefs. The sources of the negativity that underlies the aversive racist’s racial attitudes and provide the motivation to be prejudice are either internal or external according to Devine. One’s own internalized (self-prescribed) standards or guides for regulating behavior is considered to be the internalized source of racism, while the socially prescribed standards or guides for regulatory behavior is the external source of racism. Devine thoroughly researched the conflicts between the two. By looking at the sources we can understand how motivation enforces the responses and how the norms have an impact on the responses. External sources are overemphasized in racism. The conditions under which aversive racism is likely to exist seem to situations where it is unclear whether there are social prohibitions against expressions of negative racial beliefs, but when the situation clearly shows anti-prejudice views the aversive racist may not show any racist response, but they may seem very egalitarian. The racism is usually expressed as in-group favoritism, rather than out-group derogation. Comparisons between hiring of racial groups versus whites in 1988 to 1989 and 1998 to 1999 showed black applicants that had a clearly better application were hired over whites are results that agree with the aversive racist theory, reduction of racism over time, but the study also showed when the black applicant and the white had similar qualifications, the participants preferred to hire the whites. Which shows that there is an underlying hostility toward blacks that is dormant in environments that do not allow for it, but when it is unclear, aversive racial attitudes surface. Aversive racism seems to be self-perpetuating through the lack of awareness that the racist tends to have over his/her own aversively racist actions. Dovidio argues the aversive racism suggests that because white’s negative affect toward blacks manifests itself subtly in terms of opposition to social programs and voting behavior that are aimed at bring more blacks into society, which Dovido believes shows the lack of 2007-04-18T03:22:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-and-Theories-on-Racism-32985.aspx The Disorder of Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa, more commonly known simply as anorexia, is a psychological disorder that can have devastating physical affects. Anorexia nervosa is an irrational fear of gaining weight. It causes victims to compulsively starve themselves, and exercise an excessive and unhealthy amount. This disorder is particularly dangerous because it is very difficult to diagnose, and there is no guaranteed cure or treatment because the cause itself is somewhat ambiguous. The vast majority of people who suffer from anorexia nervosa are young teens, and female. Most researchers agree that at least one percent of U.S. women between the ages of twelve and twenty-five are anorexic. This would include about 300,000 young women. Some say that anorexia inflicts many more, as many as three percent, or half a million young women. The actual number of people who suffer from this disorder cannot be determined, since the number of victims who do not report their condition is unknown, but estimated to be very high. The number of older women, women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, who exhibit signs of anorexia is growing. Many believe that the increase in the number of women in the workforce is directly related to this increase in the older age groups. Another group that seems to have a particularly high rate of anorexia, are athletes, especially female athletes. They exhibit, more than other groups, the dangerously excessive exercise. Since its discovery in 1689, anorexia has been thought to be a strictly mental disorder. Recently however, theories have developed that the causes may also be physical, which would mean that a hereditary predisposition for the condition could exist. It is believed that the irregular release of certain hormones may trigger the disease. The brain’s release of the hormone vasopressin is thought to be the main cause. Vasopressin controls the body’s water balance, particularly as a result of salt intake. When salt is taken in, the secretion of vasopressin increases, which causes the kidneys to retain water. In anorexics, the body’s response to salt is not regulated. The secretion of vasopressin changes rapidly, and fluctuates high and low in response, but is not secreted in the correct amounts. All the affects of vasopressin on the body are not known. It 2007-04-18T03:19:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Disorder-of-Anorexia-Nervosa-32984.aspx The American Economy of the Early 1800s The economy of 1810-1860 was on the rise to one of the worlds best of the time and they pushed through with new inventions, westward expansion, immigration, slavery, highways and steamboats, and railroads. This time period was just after the industrial revolution and America is starting to become a true nation some thirty years after they gained their independence. One of the most influential inventions of the time was in 1837 by John Deere of Illinois, with the steel plow. This replaced the old fragile wood plows, and was used to break up the terrible virgin soil. Then in the 1830s the Virginia born Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical mower-reaper, which did the work of five men in the 1/5 the time. This new invention made farmers eager to get more land to plant wheat and other crops. With this new technology of the time farming gave way to the large scale production of the markets, which produced a lot of money. During this time the production of cotton soared on the brink of the cotton gin, by Eli Whitney in 1791. By 1860 there was more than 400 million pounds of southern cotton annually. America also had been forced to develop factories because of the Embargo act of 1807 and the Non-Intercourse act of 1809. Western land of the time was the most fought for land because the issue of slavery and fresh land for agriculture. Most of the people who moved west were in search of gold or a new life, and the average age of citizens there was thirty. Pioneers were moving on to the new land after they exhausted the land with their tobacco crops. With western expansion the population was doubling on average of every twenty-five years. By 1860 the original thirteen colonies, had reached to the number of thirty-three. One of the main reasons for the explosion of the population was because of immigration. The other reason for expansion was because both the North and the South were looking for an advantage of states for the slavery issue. Also to most of the people who moved were looking for quick money with the Gold Rush and to start anew for some of those who had gone wrong in the east. Immigration of this time was one of the main reasons for such an 2007-04-18T03:05:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-American-Economy-of-the-Early-1800s-32978.aspx Psychological Study of Pre-Operational Fifth-grade Children The article I will be summarizing is entitled, Making conservationists and classifiers of preoperational fifth-grade children, and was written by Linda Bakken, Johnnie Thompson, and Frances L. Clark. Piaget's theory of cognitive development assumes that mental development is a process that is directed by maturation and experiences like the environment. Piaget also suggests that, as children get older, genetic factors play a decreasing role, however the environments impact on cognitive development rises. Also, Wadsworth proposed that children who are raised in surroundings with limited opportunities to explore will develop more slowly than will children raised within a more provoking environment; their ultimate development also will remain lower. The goal of the study at hand was to analyze children who were identified as cognitively preoperational and, through the use of hands-on experiences, determine if their mental development could be raised to concrete operational level performance. Piaget called the second stage preoperational thinking because a mental operation involves logical thought, and children at this stage do not yet have this ability to think logically. Instead, children develop the ability to deal with the world symbolically or representational. That is, they develop the ability to imagine doing something, rather than actually doing it. For example, a child in the sensori-motor stage of development learns how to pull a toy along the floor. A child reaching the preoperational stage of development develops a mental representation of the toy and a mental picture of pulling the toy. If the child can use words to describe the action, it is accomplished mentally and symbolically through the use of words. One of the major accomplishments during this period is the development of language, the ability to think and communicate by using words that represent objects and events. The elementary school years are crucial for developing successful cognitive functioning. In 1994 Webster and Ammon found that both classification and serration are relevant in reading and writing performance. Pasnak, Holt, Campbell, and McCutcheon said that concrete operational tasks of number conservation, classification, and serration generalized to "increased academic achievement in mathematics concepts and verbal comprehension,.” and Arlin concluded that the operations of conservation, classification, and serration are positively related to reading and mathematics achievement. The hypothesis for this study I read about was that elementary fifth-grade students who were diagnosed as cognitively functioning at the preoperational level would expand 2007-04-18T01:16:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Study-of-Preoperational-Fifth-Grade-Children-32947.aspx Monogamous Relations vs. Polygamous Relations In today’s society this question has been raised numerous times. Should we let polygamy be accepted or should monogamy remain. In my point of view’ I feel that we should abide by the monogamy marriage meaning be limited to only one man or one woman. Emotions, especially love and sexual desire, are the result of a man’s basic values. Thus he will naturally respond positively to All the women that he perceives to manifest those values. There is no inevitable conflict between what a women feels for one man and what she feels for another, if she is responding to the same values manifest in both men. Thus it IS psychologically possible for one person to be deeply and romantically in love with two or more others at the same time. Let me tell you a little about the two; monogamy is being married to one person at a time whereto polygamy is being married to many at the same time. Monogamous relationship it’s you and your mate there is no need for being jealous of anyone. Also, in monogamy relationships there is no adding of a new wife, worrying about which one of you will your husband slept with that night. According to the Great Conversation by Norman Melechert he states “in ancient times it was allowable for men to have many wives, but it is not allowable. Melechert states it’s not allowable now because of the circumstances of numerous children being produced. But that utility is not present now. What counts is whether a man has one wife or many, but the state of his “loves”, whether its cupidity or desire to enjoy flesh for it’s temporal delights or charity.” In a polygamous relationship the wife has to adjust to the addition of a new wife, rotation of the husband, social-emotional relations, living arrangements, and finances. If you have insecurities, neuroticisms, or any other lack of authentic self-esteem, then this type of relationship is not for you. According to Why Monogamy by Mary C. Still she states “ in a polygamous relationship the first wife receives special treatment and the wife who has the first son receives special treatment." On the other hand the other wives receives whatever is left over. Polygamy relationships 2007-04-18T00:43:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Monogamous-Relations-vs_-Polygamous-Relations-32937.aspx Irish Immigration to America There are multiple reasons why groups immigrate to the United States: liberty; whether it be political or religious, the desire for a better life, or in the case of the Irish: starvation. The agricultural collapse of Ireland, widely known as the Great Potato Famine, forced 4.5 million Irish to come to the U.S. between 1840 and 1914. As discussed in the course, this makes them the first major non-protestant group to enter the US, immediately causing Americans to perceive them as a threat. Though the Irish were seen as a threat, they arrived at a time when unskilled labor was needed and a wide range of civil service and state government jobs opened up, thus giving them a niche in society as well as opening up some channels of mobility. As a result of the famine, many Irish families were forced to emigrate from their country. By 1854, between 1½ and 2 million Irish left their country due to the harsh living conditions. In America, most Irish became city-dwellers: with little money, many had to settle in the cities that the ships they came on landed in. By 1850, the Irish made up a quarter of the population in Boston, Massachusetts; New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Irish populations were prevalent among American mining communities (Quinn). Today the Irish are so thoroughly assimilated into the larger American society that it is difficult for anyone to remember how harshly and unforgiving they were greeted as they arrived in the great wave that began in the mid-1840s and lasted for a decade, but white America equated them with blacks and stereotyped them accordingly as "childlike buffoons, lazy, superstitious, given to doubletalk, inflated rhetoric, and comic misuse of proper English (Quinn)." For African Americans and the Irish alike, Quinn explains the attitudes against them: "the stereotype became so ingrained in popular attitudes and perceptions that it passed from being regarded as a theatrical parody to a predetermining of group behavior." Blacks were called Sambo, while Irish were stereotyped as Paddy. Gradually, though, Paddy evolved into what Quinn calls Jimmy, a blend of New York's flamboyant Mayor Jimmy Walker and Jimmy Cagney. Jimmy "expressed the style of the urban Irish in its definitive form. These Jimmies had the blend of musicality and menace, of nattiness and charm, of verbal agility and ironic sensibility, of what today 2007-04-16T19:20:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irish-Immigration-to-America-32923.aspx Abstract The effects of conventional and unconventional name spelling on perceived employment suitability is to be studied. Based on theories of learning and stereotype formation and activation, it is expected that unconventionally spelled names will be rated more negatively then conventionally spelled names. 120 participants (60 male and female) will be given a job application, with either a conventionally spelled or unconventionally spelled name, and asked to rate its suitability based on specific criteria. Participants will respond using a five item, 6-point Likert scale measuring five dimensions: education, qualifications, previous experience, references and personal details. Validity and reliability measures are also discussed. It is expected that group means will show conventionally spelled names score higher then unconventionally spelled names. Suggesting that unconventionally spelled names can facilitate negative personality appraisal, as congruent with previous research. Conclusions about methodological assumptions and implications are discussed. The Effect of Name Spelling on Perceived Employment Suitability Wading through the vast wealth of possible first names is a time consuming and arduous journey that every parent must face, and in many cases, some parents prefer to select unusual or unconventional names in the hope of making their child uniquely different. In doing so however, they may inadvertently burden the child with a range of negative connotations often associated with unconventional names. For example, individuals with uncommon names are often rated as less intelligent and less desirable by their peers (Levine & Willis, 1994). To counter this, many parents select names with unusual spelling, in the hope of retaining unique qualities within the name without exposing their child to the negative effects of unconventional naming. Studies have shown however, that unconventional spelling may exert the same negative effects as unconventional naming (Mehrabian & Piercy, 1993). An unconventional name is one that employs a culturally unusual or uncommon word, title or phrase (Cook, Lounsbury & Fontenelle, 1980). Similarly, unconventionally spelled names are those that employ cultural unusual spelling of commonly accepted names (Mehrabian & Piercy, 1993). Emily, for example, is the commonly accepted spelling in current English language, whereas Emilie is a cultural variant. That unconventional spelling should exert a negative influence over perception is a logical expectation. Associative learning theory, for example, holds that as the individual interacts with their environment, they will be reinforced to engage in behaviours and situations the result in positive outcomes and to avoid those that result in negative outcomes (Klein & Mowrer, 2007-04-14T14:43:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Name-Spelling-and-Perceived-Conotations-32919.aspx Abstract The purpose of the present study was to analyze the motion picture Kindergarten Cop, such that predominant themes in learning and motivation could be identified and discussed. Analysis suggests a range of learning techniques and motivational strategies were employed by the educators, though operant conditioning forms the basis of learning and motivation, with aspects of social cognitive learning and information processing theories also developed. There is a definite focus on closed, specific strategies rather then discovery learning, most likely due to the nature of the educator, and greater emphasis appears to be placed on behaviour control then actual learning. Future studies should endeavor to tailor learning strategies to specific tasks, as this appears to be the most effective method. Analysis of Learning and Motivation in Motion Picture Film Kindergarten Cop. Discerning the relationship between the educator, the learner and the environment has been a fundamental aim in educational psychology for some time. It is little wonder then, that numerous studies have been conducted to identify effective teaching and motivational strategies that ensure a strong association between these three forces. The aim of the current study is to identify, analyze and evaluate the relationship between the educator, the learner and the educational setting portrayed in the movie Kindergarten Cop, so that primary themes in learning and motivation can be identified and explained. The movie itself follows the exploits of two tough minded, under cover detectives John Kimble and Phoebe O’Hara, as they attempt to pin down long time drug dealer and suspected murderer Cullen Crisp. Kimble initially arrests Crisp for murder, but since their key witness is an unreliable substance abuser, the detectives go in search of Crisp’s former wife (Rachel) and son (Cullen, Jr.) , who are hiding somewhere in Astoria Oregon, to strengthen their case. Unfortunately, the police only know the approximate age of Cullen Jr., and possess almost no information about the mother. In order to identify the child, O’Hara is to pose as a substitute kindergarten teacher. However, on the trip to the school she becomes violently ill, forcing the ungainly Kimble to take her place. From there, the movie depicts the relationship that builds between the kindergarten students and their new teacher, and the eventual learning outcomes for both. As such, Kindergarten Cop presents an ideal medium of study, since it follows the learning and motivation of both the educator and the student, and depicts the strategies and 2007-04-14T14:37:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Kindergarten-Cop-Learning-and-Motivation-32918.aspx On average, 18% of the population will develop an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives (NIMH, 2007), and for around 1.5% to 4% of those individuals, that will be panic disorder (Katerndahl & Realini, 1993; Kessler et al., 1994). Panic disorder is characterized by sudden attacks of terror, usually accompanied by a pounding heart, sweatiness, weakness, faintness or dizziness (Galassi, Quercioli, Charismas, Niccolai, & Bariciulli, 2007). During an attack, an individual may feel flushed or chilled, experience tingling or numbness and may experience nausea, chest pain or smothering sensations. Attacks usually produce a sense of unreality, a fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control (Barlow, Brown, & Craske, 1995). Unsurprisingly, panic disorder is correlated with significant suffering and disability in social and occupational domains (Leon, Portera, & Weissman, 1995), as well as a highly impaired lifestyle (Leon, Shear, Portera, & Klerman, 1993). Research also suggests a strong positive correlation between onset of panic disorder and severity of the condition (Keller & Hanks, 1993; Noyes et al., 1993), due to the persistent nature of the disorder. Furthermore, onset of panic disorder before 25 years is correlated with severe clinical psychopathology, such as increased likelihood of depression or social phobia (Goodwin & Hamilton, 2002). Nonetheless, panic disorder is highly treatable with specific medication and cognitive therapy. However, due to the physiological nature of the symptoms individuals with panic disorder can be easily misdiagnosed or may not be diagnosed at all, meaning that accurate identification and assessment of individuals with panic disorder is essential. There are three broad approaches to assessment in panic disorder: diagnostic interviews, clinician rated scales and self report measures. Each approach has a different application and brings with it a different set of assumptions, limitations and applications. The purpose of this review is to present valid and reliable examples of each approach so as to demonstrate that no individual measure is indefinitely more useful than any other, rather, that the usefulness and application of any one scale or interview is curtailed or facilitated by the situation to which it is applied. There are numerous structured and semi-structured interview formats that can assess panic disorder, such as the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (First, Spizter, Gibbon, & Williams, 1996). However, when dealing with anxiety disorders the Anxiety Disorders Inventory Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV; Di Nardo, Brown, & Barlow, 1994) is preferred because of its specificity, although it 2007-04-14T14:27:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Assessment-of-Panic-Disorder-32917.aspx Social Psychology and Breaking Social Norms In our society we have a number of society norms that we abide by. For example, there is an unwritten rule of how one should behave in an elevator. For example, it is proper to face front, stand away from strangers, and not to look at others. When a social norm is broken people may respond with alarm, humor, fear, irritation, or an array of other emotions. When you think of a norm, you are probably thinking about being normal. But in psychology terms, norm means, a standard or representative value for a group. The norm, that is more common to people is social norm. Meaning expectations about what behavior thoughts or feelings are appropriate within a given group within a given context. In society today we the people decide what is normal and abnormal. I surveyed five people and asked them two questions of what they thought was normal and abnormal. The first question was “Do you think dressing weird out in the public eye is normal”? There response were “No, because everybody does that anyway.” My next question was, “Does being rude to an elderly normal?” There response was “ No, you have to give respect to older people.” Well, I did this survey to get an idea on what people thought of what was normal and what wasn’t. This survey also helped me chose a norm to break. When I broke the norms I actually broke two and didn’t even know it until I was done with my acting. The two social norms that I broke were , wearing pajamas to the movie theatre with my boyfriend and being rude to authority such as older siblings. When my boyfriend picked me up, he just looked at me strangely. I know he wanted to ask why did I have on pajamas but he just kept quiet. By the way I did bring a extra pair of clothes with me, so I wouldn’t look like an idiot that whole night. Well anyway, on our way to the movies, my boyfriend just kept staring at me, but mind you he never said a word. When we went to get the tickets I received many looks from people and heard many whispers around me. There was a couple standing behind us and they were saying, “How could he let his girlfriend come out 2007-03-19T14:12:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-and-Breaking-Social-Norms-32833.aspx Neuroligical Biology of the Brain The definition of Brain as given in the Taber's Cyclopaedia Medical Dictionary is "Brain- a large soft mass of nerve tissue contained within the cranium; the carnal portion of the central nervous system. The anatomy of the brain is composed of neurons (nerve cells) and neuroglia or supporting cells. The brain consists of gray and white matter. Gray matter is composed mainly of neuron cell bodies and is concentrated in the cerebral cortex and the nuclei and basal ganglia. White matter is composed of neuron processes, which form tracts connecting parts of the brain with each other and with the spinal cord. The brain consists of three major parts: the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem ( medulla, pons, and midbrain)."(257) The brain is the heaviest organ in our bodies and the most important organ besides your heart. In this discussion you will be able to understand the brain a little better and will be more educated about the brain when you finish. Nerve, as defined in Tabers, is "a bundle of nerve fibers outside the central nervous system(CNS) that connect the brain and spinal cord with various parts of the body." (1280) Nerves are bundles of nerve fibers. Neuralgia were once thought only to fill spaces and surround or support neurons. Nerves are essential in our everyday functions, they can effect everything we do. The neuralgia cells provide assistance, support, nutrition and protection to neurons in the central nervous system. There are four types of neuralgia cells which are oligodendroglia, astrocytes, microglia and ependymal. Neurons as defined in Taber's is " a nerve cell, the structural and functional unit of the nerves system. A neuron consists of a cell body (perikaryon) and it's processes, an axon and one or more dendrites."(1292) Neurons function in initiation and conduction of impulses. " They transmit impulses to other neurons or cells by releasing neurotransmitters at synapses. Alternatively, " a neuron may release neurohormones into the bloodstream." (Monahan 712) In a resting stage, the neuron has a negative membrane potential. Because of this large negative difference, the membrane is said to be polarized. "Membrane depolarization, which can be initiated by chemical, mechanical, electrical, or thermal means, extends from one neuron to another, resulting in impulse transmission."(Monahan 713) The central nervous system consist of the brain and the spinal cord. " The organs of the nervous system can be 2007-03-19T13:42:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Neuroligical-Biology-of-the-Brain-32817.aspx Economics and OPEC The economy is affected by many factors that determine if it is strong or weak. These factors have to do with buyers consuming goods and services and at what rate they do this. Do the goods and services that are consumed by people created wealth, jobs and a better overall economy for a country. Throughout history some economies have evolved faster and stronger than others. Policies that the government places on industry, technology and the environment can all affect the prosperity of an economy. Of the factors that affect economic growth the industry of Oil and gas is one that holds a stronghold in the world's and America's economy today. When evaluating the economic growth factor of economy and specifically oil and gas on must consider the following questions: ¨ What relationship does the factor have with the whole economy? ¨ How does this factor affect economic growth ¨ Is the factor a cause or effect of economic growth? ¨ what would the economy be like if there were significant problems with this factor? ¨ What relation does a central bank have to this factor? I will answer each of these questions in respect to how economy is affected by oil and gas. The economy in the United States today is greatly affected by oil and gas. When there are large reserves and an increase of active drills in respect to oil, the economy seems to receive a boost. This is because prices for such things like gas and oil fall and people are able to consume more gas at a lower price. There is more supply and prices fall, therefore people save money on gas and can consume other items in the economy. People working in these industries have more job openings and more jobs filled, therefore creating a lower unemployment rate and a higher national per capita income. The need for substitutes are not there so, consumers will consume oil and gas at a growing rate. Since, people use oil and gas for so many different things like heating there homes, driving their cars, and a variety of other sources, the overall GNP for the consumer will rise. Economic growth is affected through significant fluctuations in inflation of oil and gas. If you look throughout history when there have been fluctuations in gas and oil prices you have vast fluctuations in the economy of our country. 2007-03-08T00:36:42-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economics-and-OPEC--32781.aspx Implications For Read-Alouds With Preschool Children The single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills eventually required for reading appears to be reading aloud to children (Adams, 1990; Goodman, 1984). However, a familiar complaint of primary teachers is that children often arrive in kindergarten or first grade showing little experience with books. In an age of video games, television, and computers, connecting children with the pleasure of books and reading is a major concern. Many children do not seem to look forward to reading and they do not seem to know how books “work”, nor the pleasure they can bring. Why is there an alarming increase in these types of behaviors? Some say it is the increase of families living in poverty. The National Institute for Literacy (1999) reported that 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty, 17% receive food stamps, 70% have no job or a part time job. Many of these people never graduated from high school and may not value the educational process, perhaps because they feel it failed them. In the workplace these people earn a mean monthly income of $432 as compared to $1829 for those with a Bachelor’s degree (National Institute for Literacy, 1999). Needless to say, living conditions may or may not meet what we would consider “minimum standards”. Unsafe neighborhoods result in families leaving their homes only for necessities – going to work, getting food. They certainly donot have the time or desire for venturing out for recreational trips to the library (Gottschal, 1995). Unlike many middle-class families, these families have had few opportunities to enjoy and experience high-quality books. Children who learn to read “naturally” before entering school usually have extensive story-reading experiences. Similarily, research has found that experience with books during the preschool years is related to successful literacy development during the elementary school years (Adams, 1990). One might ask how soon could you begin reading to children? Some believe it is never to early to read to children (Kupetz & Green, 1997). Research clearly illustrates the benefits derived from reading to very young children. The benefits of early book experiences includes helping infant’s eyes to focus and recognize objects, building sensory awareness; reinforcing basic concepts; stimulating imagination; extending experiences; providing a reading model; as well 2007-03-08T00:33:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Implications-For-Read-Alouds-With-Preschool-Children-32779.aspx Bottle Feed vs. Breast Feed Bottle Feed vs. Breast Feed For every child that is born, the mother has the choice to bottle feed or breast feed her baby. Doctors and specialists, for years, have researched which is better: bottle feed or breast feed. To this day, there is no answer that is definite for all mothers. Each mother is different, each child is different, each environment is different; therefore, determining which method of feeding is better, is nearly impossible. From the nominal research I’ve done, I would have to state that both bottle feeding and breast feeding are good, depending on the mother, child and environment. U.S. Food and Drug Administration According to the U.S. Food and Drug administration, the best first food for babies is breast milk. Many decades of research have been done, to determine that breast milk is perfectly suited to nourish babies and protect them from illness. “Human milk is made for human infants, and it meets all of their specific nutrient needs,” says Ruth Lawrence, M.D. She also states that “breast-fed babies are healthier and have fewer infections than formula-fed babies.” Formula is the second best option to breast milk. Cow’s milk is not a good option for babies because it contains a different type of protein than breast milk. Also, breast-fed babies have fewer illnesses because human milk transfers to the infant a mother’s antibodies to disease. Breast milk is always sterile, never contaminated by polluted water or dirty bottles. In addition to the nutrition that breast feeding provides a baby, breast feeding also aides in development. Breast feeding allows the child to create an emotional attachment to the mother, as well as providing a sense of security from the warmth and presence of the mother. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that “nursing becomes more than a way to feed a baby; it’s a source of warmth and comfort”. American Academy of Pediatrics According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), human milk is the preferred feeding for all infants, including premature and sick newborns, with rare exceptions. The AAP has continuously promoted breastfeeding as the foundation of good feeding practices. The AAP states that research has shown that human milk and breastfeeding of infants provides advantages with regard to general health, growth, and development, while significantly decreasing risk for 2007-03-07T01:27:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bottle-Feed-vs_-Breast-Feed-32765.aspx Sociology of Iraqi Families In the 1950's, a newly married American woman named Elizabeth Warnock Fernea accompanied her husband to a rural Iraqi village, El Nahra, where he was performing field research for his doctorate in anthropology. The adjustment for her was profound, because she lived in a mud hut with no indoor plumbing, didn't speak the local language, and found it advisable to wear the veil in order to fit in with the local conservative Islamic community. Under the advice of friends, Fernea transformed her journal into Guests of the Sheik, which covers the day-to-day life of the women in the tribe, the process of slowly making friends with them as she learned their language, and the local Shiite religious observances that she shared in. She talks about the veiling of women, the hard manual labor that is part of everyone's life, the religious customs, the food that people eat, the structure of society, and, most importantly, the many different aspects of family life. Familial groups are the fundamental social units, regulating many activities that, in Westernized societies are the functions of political, economic, religious, or neighborhood groups. In Iraq, personal rights and obligations center on the extended family and lineage. The extended family is the “basic social unit” (pg 160). A mutually protective attitude among relatives is taken as important. The father, brother, and sons are responsible for care of the women. They see to it that she has an adequate home, meals, clothing, etc. There is always a chance of a man taking on a second or third wife, as in the case of Sheik Hamid, who had three wives. With polygamous marriages, all the wives have a status in the family and will be taken care of by their respective children and a network of relatives associated with the husband. The father or eldest male, in theory, has absolute authority over the activities of the members of the household, both within the confines of the house and outside. Each time Laila wanted to go somewhere with Beeja (Elizabeth), she pressed Beeja to ask Mr. Bob (Beeja’s husband) for permission if they could go, then Laila’s father would let her go. The father also decides what education his children will receive, what occupations his sons will enter, and, usually in consultation with his wife, whom his children 2007-03-06T22:41:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sociology-of-Iraqi-Families-32758.aspx Analysis of the Argentinian Economy and Government The article “Argentine Government Says It Can’t Pay Its Workers”, by Larry Rother, is about how the Argentine Government has not collect enough taxes to pay more than half a million employees. The scarcity principal is in effect in this situation, because the government has a limited amount of money to give to its employees. The people of the country are becoming outraged because the president gave himself a raise to 1500 pesos a month which is the highest amount a government official can be paid. When you put that into perspective, its seems very inefficient because there are people who are getting no money which is vital to keeping them and their families alive, and the most wealthy people in the country are continuing to get richer. One method the government is using to try to solve the problem by producing more pesos as a quick fix. One of the problems with this solution is that it could cause inflation and lower the overall value of the Argentinean peso. A decrease in the value of the peso, would Argentinean businesses would be unable to compete in the world market because their money would have no steady value. As the value of the peso continued to drop, businesses would have to find ways to cut costs and make more money. This would entail workers being laid off and prices being raised. If the market was perfect, price increases would be unacceptable and the businesses would cease to exist. This would thrust the economy into a downward spiral and take years to repair. The other proposal to help the situation was to tax businesses that were projecting big earnings in the future. This would raise the 2 to 3 billion dollars the government needs to pay the salaries of the employees. It was also proposed that the government put a twenty percent levy on gas companies. The problem with this was that the gas companies raised their prices at the pump in defiance of the president’s calls for their price restraint. The last proposal in this article was for a tax on agricultural exports. The government is proposing these taxes as “one time taxes.” The president was sworn in last month though, and is already unable to pay 2007-03-06T22:32:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Argentinian-Economy-and-Government-32753.aspx Homelessness And Sociological Perspectives 'I've detached myself from everyone and have become anonymous. I don't participate in life, nor do I care to participate in life. I'm just an observer,’ said a homeless guy on the street. He looks hopeless and hungry and walks off. Here we are in the 21st century and still in this great nation of ours we face a dilemma of problems. What are these problems? These problems range from drugs to terror and even to homelessness. Over the past year, over 2 million men, women, and children were homeless and this number is sure to go up in coming years. Why is this? No one really knows why but many factors can cause one to become homeless. Losing ones job, becoming ill, and a lack of affordable housing can all play a major role in ones becoming homeless. What exactly does it mean to be homeless? The word homeless means having no home or permanent place of residence. To better understand the issue of homelessness it is necessary for one to not look at it in only one way but from a few different angles. You have to look at the way that different homeless people act and behave in a society; you have to look at it from a sociological perspective point of view. Within sociology, there is not a single theoretical perspective, but many theoretical perspectives. The three main perspectives are the functionalism, the conflict theory, and the symbolic interaction perspectives. The functionalism theory is about social organization and how this organization is maintained throughout the society. This theory emphasizes the importance of stability and integration in a society. The ideas come from natural sciences and look at society like a biologist would look at a living organism. They both try to identify the various parts or structures and see how they work and/or function. In this theory homelessness is viewed as inevitable and basically a must for the society to well, “function.” Individuals occupy specific, fixed roles in the society. Homelessness is just looked at as nothing more but a social class which is needed. It is believed that once one is part of this class, one will remain with this class for as long as he or she lives but if there ever is change and one moves up in class, the change will be very slow and gradual. The functionalism 2007-03-05T00:17:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Homelessness-and-Sociological-Perspectives-32728.aspx Economic Globalization In a world of perfection there would be no hunger, no poverty, and no crime, but no such world can truly exist. There will always be suffering, hurt, anguish, and despair. Yet, shouldn’t we strive to provide a good future for all? This concept of the most amount of good for the most amount of people is called Utilitarianism. Contrary to popular belief, the United States doesn’t believe in such a state of being. Instead, through capitalism and economic globalization the United States has proven to believe in the exact opposite of utilitarianism. The United States has always been based on the principles of capitalism; however, the present economy is far from being the free enterprise system it was once envisioned as. The major change the United States made was directing the system away from competition. The result is a society dominated by mega corporations that control demand rather then respond to the demands of the market. To break down the previous statement the corporations are so in control of their products price that they can charge whatever they see fit. (Eitzen and Zinn 27) The reason for this is lack of competition in a capitalistic society. Karl Marx a social theorist of the 1800’s believed that the basis of social order in every society is the production of economic goods. The concepts of what is produced, how it’s produced, and how it’s exchanged determines the differences in people’s wealth, power, and social status. (Eitzen and Zinn 28) Marx argued that because human beings must organize their activities, in order to clothe, feed, and house themselves, every society is based upon an economic base. The form that people chose to solve their basic economic problems would, according to Marx, eventually determine virtually everything in a social structure. A social structure can include such ideas as family structure, education, and religion. In Marx’s view these social structures depend on a base economy. To apply Marx idea, keep in mind the United States is a capitalist society. Moving on Marx argued that every economic system except socialism produces a force that eventually leads to a new economic form. For example, in a feudal system the market and factory emerged but were not capable of a feudal way 2007-03-04T19:02:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Globalization-32723.aspx The book is an autobiography of David Pelzer. He writes about his struggle to stay alive in a home where he is treated like a slave and an animal. The book begins with the people at Dave's school finally report Dave and his condition to the authorities. The whole book is a flashback, except for the very beginning, when a policeman is taking the boy away from his mother, to freedom. His mother was the "perfect" mother, when he was younger than four. She taught them something new every day and took them on many fun family vacations. Then, singled out one of her children to be the family slave, but it didn't stop there. She also played cruel games, with the boy. Some of her favorites were the gas chamber, and the starvation tease. She played "games" with David; these games were sick and twisted. Although David had to learn how to cope and "play" these games in order to survive. There were three main characters, Dave, (the boy,) his mom, and his dad. The writer makes me believe that these people are real by describing them in very fine detail. I like Dave, because he seems really kind to everybody that he knows how to be kind to. Also, he tries to be honest, and is almost always hopeful and wishful. He is innocent, and smart. Here is a quote about him thinking about his relationship with his brothers: "After the boys had carved their pumpkins, I could hear mother, in her soothing voice, telling them a scary story. The more I heard, the more I hated each and every one of them. It was bad enough waiting, like a dog, out in the backyard on the rocks while they enjoyed dinner, but having to lay in a cold bathtub, shivering to keep warm, while they ate popcorn and listened to mothers' tale made me want to scream." As the book progresses so do the amount of abuse David receives from his mother. David was fortunate enough to remain hopeful throughout his abuse and was eventually taken from the custody of his mother. When talking David speaks calm at some times and with extreme rage at other times. David's mother is the only one who speaks slang in the book; this slang is usually the result of her being drunk. I don't like Dave's mother because she is the abuser. She is very 2007-02-26T02:57:58-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Child-Called-It-by-David-Pelzer-32696.aspx Capitalism and Class Inequality in Society Capitalism poses many different problems to the political economist. To Marx and Veblen, class structure is one of the most prominent issues of concern. Economic decisions and organization in society create class distinction, and in turn, the activities of one class affect the others. Marx and Veblen both offer unique analyses of class structure in capitalist society. Their theories differ both in how the class structures are arranged and how they emerged. Furthermore, many of these class distinctions are readily visible in today’s society just as Marx and Veblen foresaw them. In her book, The Overworked American, Schor points out many examples that exemplify these different concepts. The analysis leads to interesting questions of change as well. How do the concepts and examples appear when we step back and look at them in real world context and what must be changed in society to ensure the best possible lives for its people? There are important distinctions to be made between Marx and Veblen on class structure. Marx saw class structure as two opposing forces. These are dialectic classes. They are based in economics because Marx claimed that class was determined by the ownership of the means of production. To him society was grouped into two classes. The “Bourgeoisie” was the capitalist class that owned production and the “Proletariat” class was comprised of the workers. This class structure sets up a conflict of interests that creates growing inequality between the two classes. It is clear to see that in Marx’s analysis of capitalism that there are two distinct groups; those who produce and those who own production. This creates social structure because when one group owns the labor of another, wealth is created. People are aware of these income differences, and class separation is furthered by the division of labor along with inequality in wages. To Marx, capitalism is one of a series of constantly evolving economic institutions. The key to Marx’s class structure is private property. Private property has allowed the capitalist to accumulate the surplus value from production. It is because of this that the worker is alienated from what he or she produces. Estrangement, through the implementation of managers and technology, has increased the separation between the worker and the actual work. This creative destruction has, for most, created dull and unfulfilling work. “…The more intelligent the work, the duller the worker and the 2007-02-19T22:42:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Capitalism-and-Class-Inequality-in-Society-32677.aspx A Political Economy Approach to the Modern Corporation Throughout the semester we have studied some common themes that seem to unite all workers under different systems of economic organization; the main theme being the quality of life and the workplace for the members of society. Some of the more specific problems we have covered from the political economy side deal with the extraction of surplus value, environmental issues, the trend of excessive consumption and, perhaps most importantly, the undemocratic workplace created by capitalism. In Europe and various other cultures, there is much being to better the economic standards of living. We have examined democratic socialism, centrally planned economies, and most recently, and most effectively, the cooperative corporation. Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, MCC, has created a new way to run both a co-op and a corporation. Its aim is to protect the interests of its workers and its community. In particular, Mondragon has been organized in a way that presents new solutions to these common political economy dilemmas. Through its unique set-up, Mondragon has developed some innovative and efficient ways to deal with these specific problems. The Mondrargon Corporation deals most primarily with the problems workers face from undemocratically run businesses. The key is that the corporation is runs on a foundation of values that are designed to keep the interests of the community at the forefront of all production. This is an immediate departure from profit driven, capitalist firms. Self-interest behavior of capitalists is the first step away from any sort of democratic production. What is truly democratic about a corporation like Mondragon is that there is an emphasis on equal ownership despite wage discrepancies that may exist within the firm. Therefore, the democratic workplace exists because of “the notion of ordinary citizens controlling the business upon which they depend, thus making a better life for all” (MacLeod, 20). The invested interest of everyone is embedded in the firm because it is run by the workers as a whole. This is the principle of a democratically run work environment. Furthermore, the MCC works so well as a democratic corporation because it is primarily run by an internal labor union that is comprised of the Social Council. This promotes better communication between management and lower level employees, where the traditional capitalist corporation falls short. This works because in many corporations, managers are in place solely to monitor the work of the employees. In 2007-02-19T22:39:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Political-Economy-Approach-to-the-Modern-Corporation-32676.aspx Differences Between Mainstream and Political Economics The fundamental distinction between mainstream economics and the political economy approach to economics is how we define and measure the economy. More importantly, how do we equate the performance of our economy to the overall quality of life experienced within the economy. The differences between the two approaches are uncanny. They range from topical calculus to philosophy. Another vast difference is the focus on individual behavior compared to society as a whole. What both mainstream and political economics do have in common, however, is that they are both, in essence, a study of human behavior. This creates even greater distinction between the two, as political economists argue that human behavior cannot be quantified, while mainstream beliefs hold that we all follow rational behavior. The enormous difference in views of human nature and the separate methodological approaches are what fundamentally distinguish mainstream and political economics. Mainstream economics begins with the individual. Micro and macro economics courses teach us that we all, always behave rationally and always in our best self-interest. We are driven to maximize the utility of the goods and services produced and sold in markets. Also, it is economic gain that motivates us all to buy, sell and work. In mainstream economics, we are all termed, “economic man.” This implies that it is our inherent human nature to behave in ways that will offer us personal gain. Do we not have any other motivating forces in our nature? Can anyone validly deduce that this is in fact a universal human trait? Political economists would disagree. Fundamentally, the individual is a part of a larger group. Furthermore, the group, part of a particular place and time. This has separate implications altogether. What’s more is that human behavior is not readily predictable by any means. In fact in many cases, especially with consumers, it is completely irrational. The emotional attachment between advertisements and products we experience is a great example of irrational behavior in economics. The fact that humans are social beings is a natural tendency that political economists look at. We behave in context to the various relationships among us. This is why we are all interdependent and how we all fit into society. In the political economy approach, the social institutions and their implications form the basis of the methodology. These involve the lenses of politics, psychology, sociology and history. Mainstream economics is rooted in 2007-02-19T22:28:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Differences-Between-Mainstream-and-Political-Economics-32675.aspx Karl Marx and Political Economy Marx’s thoughts on political economy and his critiques on capitalism stem from the question that all human society must face; what must we do to survive? Mainstream economics questions how we organize ourselves to meet the unlimited wants of people by allocating scarce resources. Political economy focuses on social institutions and implications that the economy creates. Marx saw economics as the key to any society. Through the modes of production, classes form and changes occur. He saw capitalism as, “simply the latest in a series of modes of production and that it, too, will yield to some other mode of production in the future” (Sackrey, 27). Capitalism is rooted in historic change. His ideas of surplus value from private property, systems of command from class separation and a general commodifaction of man and labor through estrangement tarnish the idea of work itself. Private property, systems leading to class separation and labor estrangement that inequality and ownership create are the fundamentals. Most important to Marx’s theoretical argument against capitalism is the idea of private property and personal ownership. By owning large portions of land, firms and corporations will control and own all that is produced. As in agriculture the farmer takes the crop of his land, ownership of the plant and capital and labor ensure control of whatever is produced to the capitalist. This principle is the basis of many other arguments of Marx. By owning the property you own both the means of production whatever is produced. In his Communist Manifesto, Marx saw ownership as the inevitable lead to profit maximization. Since capitalist own the property, they, in effect, own the labor time that is put into producing something. This creates class distinction and wealth. “Property in its present form, is based on the antagonism of capital and wage labor,” (Communist Manifesto, 8). Ownership provides the luxury of doing what you please with what you produce. This is the notion of the surplus value, the extra amount that is created by a worker per day. For the most part, this is directly turned into profits. Bowles expands on many of Marx’s political economy ideas with parallel examples and more importantly, explains how Marx’s ideas have extended into other institutions we see today. For example, he describes how capitalists have taken the notion of ownership and surplus value to create relationships of command and power. By having ownership 2007-02-19T22:27:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Karl-Marx-and-Political-Economy-32674.aspx Deindividuation Application Paper Playing for a traveling soccer team was always a fun time for me growing up in Washington, D.C. We had practice one night a week on a big lighted field. We would all be car-pooled there and dropped off. On one occasion the lights went out in the middle of our practice, and complete pandemonium broke out amongst our team. The behavior was violent but not out of spite for anyone. What ensued was the biggest game of rugby/ football/ soccer any of us had ever played. It was a riot during our practice. Furthermore, it took place in complete darkness. There was a little light coming from the basketball courts about a field’s length away, but otherwise, it was pitch black. Everyone on our team began running around and tackling each other. Our scrimmage went on with a complete loss of all the rules. You could pick up the ball, punt it, tackle someone, or pretty much whatever else you wanted to do. The coach had not shown up yet so there was no one to stop us. It was all in fun and games so no one was hurt, but it was a loss of behavioral constraint and a perfect example of a group process leading to deindividuation. What happened this night of practice was a complete loss of control of behavior. It was in part due to the behavior of the group, but in addition was the fact that situational cues had changed. The lights going out allowed us to act in an inappropriate way. The size of the team was about 15 to 20 kids. We were all middle school students and the chance to misbehave and goof off was irresistible. The group norm behavior was violent for what a typical soccer practice was like, so the behavior was a negative one in that respect. Deindividuation occurred and led to increased arousal in two ways. First, the lights shutting off allowed us all some bit of anonymity. With no lights it was hard to recognize who was who. Second, we were in a large group where we could lose our sense of individual behavior regardless of the environment. These two factors contributed to our violent behavior when there was no reason for it. Furthermore, this is why everyone partook in the behavior. The loss of accountability cues took away most self-consciousness because we could 2007-02-19T22:12:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Deindividuation-Application-Paper-32667.aspx Social Psychology Paper: Conformity Theory I attended middle-school in Washington, D.C. My family and I had lived there for seven years and became much atoned to an urban way of life. At the end of sixth grade my parents decided for me to switch schools for high-school. We moved two hours south to Charlottesville, Virginia. The move was a complete culture shock and a role reversal to me. Everything was different about being in the rich, southern, country town. I had to make new friends and develop new interests in order to fit in and have a fun time. Living in an historic mill on the James River gave me the opportunity to pick up fishing. This was a foreign activity for me, although it proved to be a lot of fun. Fishing for me became a great outlet and a great way to make new friends at school. I now had a similar interest with my new group of peers and a great piece of property to take people fishing on. I really began to like fishing and the whole idea of living in the country. This story is a great example of the conformity theory. It picks up on key aspects of normative and informational social influences. There are also different types of power at work as well as some unintentional conformity. My conformity was mainly due to normative social influence and the fact that I wanted to be liked by my new friends. I was following implicit and reciprocity norms as well. I would invite people fishing not merely to fish with them because it was something people around Charlottesville did, but also because in the future I hoped they would invite me fishing. I exhibited a bit of public compliance, whereby I would fish to show others that I indeed liked to go fishing, whether or not I actually did. But over time I gained private acceptance to fishing. I really believed that it was something I loved. The social impact was strong in my case because the group was very important to me to fit in with and it was a fairly large group I wanted to be accepted by. There was also some informational social influence in my decision to become an angler. I experienced a conversion because the more I fished and thought about fishing, the more I developed new ideas and philosophies 2007-02-19T22:12:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-Paper-on-Conformity-Theory-32666.aspx Conformity Theory Application Paper Moving to a new place often involves the highest levels of conformity. When you move, you are losing all that you had in the past, and having to fit into a brand new environment that often contains very different people and very different interests. Since we are always trying to feel good about ourselves as people, fitting into the new environment is very important. We use conformity to get this accomplished. My moving story takes place in the middle of my sixth grade year. I went to a very small elementary school in St. Louis. I had been in the same class with the same group of kids for three years. Socially, I was universally well liked by all in the school. Things were great for me within this environment. Then I moved to Charlotte, NC. This was a very different environment for me. The kids had different interests and there were a lot more of them to fit in with. I immediately felt uncomfortable. So, I began to listen to the kids talk, and there was a universally “cool” thing to do in my new school. Mountain biking was the “in” thing. So, I ran home to my parents and begged for the coolest mountain bike they could get me. I began talking to people about my new wheels, and started to ride more and more. I didn’t necessarily like biking, but it was allowing me to fit in, which was most important. This story is great when looking at issues of conformity. It deals mostly with normative conformity. Normative conformity is the term used to describe actions that involve trying to be liked by another person or group of people. This matches up well with my story. I decided to start mountain biking because I wanted to fit in and be liked. Specifically, there was some reciprocity involved. I would invite people over to a trail behind my house quite often. The goal behind that was to get them to invite me over at a later date. This is a good example of reciprocity. I wasn’t inviting these kids over because I was in love with the trail, but because I wanted to go over to their houses sometime. My story 2007-02-19T22:10:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conformity-Theory-Application-Paper-32665.aspx Self-Esteem Maintenance Theory Paper It was recently announced that Chris Webber was going to be traded to the Philadelphia 76’ers this week. He has since started his career there with Alan Iverson on his side as well as the entire city. My roommate, our next door neighbor and I were watching Sports Center when they broke the news that the trade was official and had taken place. My roommate a native of Philadelphia was, needless to say, pleased with the trade. I was relatively unaffected as a Wizards fan, although Webber was, at one point, traded from DC, and the other party, a Charlotte, Bobcats fan was indifferent. My roommate, Phil (not his real name), was happy to say that, “they,” (the 76’ers franchise), acquired Chris Webber. Phil is a fairly big sports fan, and as a sports fan, having a good team and good players is very important, as well as pointing out when other teams, in this case the Wizards and Bobcats, are lacking or no good. I am less of a sports fan and to me the Wizards are not of high importance to me. My knowledge and interest is very trivial, although being from Washington, DC, I would have liked to see Chris Webber stay with the Wizards his whole career. James (also not his real name), the Bobcats fan and also a big sports follower, merely pointed out that the trade was good for the 76’ers. He didn’t mention that the Bobcats really got nobody in the trades, and we all knew that Philadelphia was having the best year in sports of the three cities. This scenario points out very well the key points of the Self-Esteem/Evaluation Maintenance Theory in all three of the characters. It is important to note first that we are comparing each other on the basis of being a sports fan and supporting your home team. We compare each other through which team is better, and which one of us knows more about sports. Since I do not claim to be a big sports fan, I, figuratively, can sit out this play. Phil, however, must prove to James that his team got the better deal and is a better team. This helps him keep his self-esteem as being a Philadelphia sports fan up. James may feel dissonance, however, because he is a big sports fan but he likes a bad team, the 2007-02-19T22:09:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Self-Esteem-Maintenance-Theory-Paper-32664.aspx Social Psychology: Self Presentation Theory Paper Claiming face and self presenting are very common place in fraternity life at colleges around the country and are no better exemplified than in the process of rush. Being a sophomore here at Bucknell and experiencing rush for myself, I can officially say that I, along with many others, have claimed face. Going into rush, one does not fully know what to expect from the different houses, but they do know what they want out of it, and more importantly, they know the type of person they want to come across as. Before attending a rush event one must get dressed in clothes that are in coordination with the personality that one wishes to express. Some dress preppy, showing off one set of values that may give a fraternity some first impressions. Others decide they do not care so much about what they wear and automatically appeal to a different set of people. Our clothes say a lot about who we are and what we care about. Rush is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of this. Getting dressed in this setting is very much like putting on our costume before we take the “stage” at some fraternity house. For many of us this is what is first noticed about us. Before we even speak, we are being examined. As I start to talk to different brothers at different houses, I notice how much my personality can be transformed to fit the setting of which I want to be a part of. At one house I may casually converse about favorite music or sports teams, while at another, I may want to be funny or intelligent. Smiling and laughing are often closely involved with all of these conversations. Brothers want to think that you are having a good time and that you like them, but at the same time, no one wants to see a complete suck up that will laugh at everything. The work of the rushee is cut out, and is a very fine line. Sometimes the things you have to say may not be exactly what you are thinking or feeling but you have to go along with it anyways in order to keep your “story” consistent. Another thing that I came across in my rush experience was noticing when a brother fell out of “character.” Each house has a reputation and 2007-02-19T22:06:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-Self-Presentation-Theory-Paper-32663.aspx Economic Case Study of Outsourcing University Food Service In a changing world in which commodification is king, it is often the unskilled workers whose interests are pushed to the wayside. This is clearly the case with the Bucknell University dining services, in which many loyal, dedicated workers stand to lose their jobs and other important benefits. In this paper, we will explore how community and quality will inevitably be sacrificed in order to create a more efficiently run food service program. We have constructed our argument from data we collected through numerous interviews with dining service workers and managers from the cafeteria, the Bison and Seventh Street Café. It is very important to remember that this is opinionated data that may or may not be totally correct. However, it is factual data in regard to how the staff feels about this process. To supplement that, we interviewed the president of the Union County Industrial Corporation, Mr. Steven Hall, and a faculty member who is close to the dining service staff and is well informed about the issue at hand. We listened to the employees’ opinions on issues such as their current work environment, how their working situation could be improved and the changes that they expect. From these interviews we have discerned some of the concerns about the current dining service situation as well as possible concerns that a new contract could cause. Our goal is to give merit to the words of these workers. After all, they have the most to loose in this process. Unfortunately, as we found out quickly in the interview process, their voice is simply not being heard. In 1993, following the resignation of the dining services’ upper-level managers, Bucknell decided to bring in a professional food services company to handle it’s dining and catering needs. When they decided on Wood Dining Services, the dining services staff (Bucknell employees until that point) were given the option of continuing on as Bucknell employees or converting to Wood’s payrolls. Many decided to shift to the higher-paying Wood, but a good number chose to continue under Bucknell. They valued the benefits Bucknell entitled them to over the incremental wages. One of the main benefits of remaining a Bucknell employee was basic job security. This cannot be assumed when working for a contractor, as your 2007-02-19T22:04:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Case-Study-of-Outsourcing-University-Food-Service-32661.aspx Examination of Unemployment in Japan's Economy Since World War II, Japan’s economy has seen incredible growth with rising prosperity and wealth, providing jobs and security for many as well as offering a broad range of opportunities for foreigners. This economic uptrend, however, was followed by a harsh letdown and one of the worst financial crises in recent economic history. Fluctuations in an economy are cyclical and pose consequences for the various demographics in its society. The burst of the Japanese bubble economy experienced these cyclical problems on a highly inflated level. The day laborers, foreign guest workers and emerging new homeless of Japan have since faced similar hardships as individuals seeking to fill spots in a dwindling job market. They face serious competition amongst each other, where changes in one demographic may strongly affect one another, and significant problems that illustrate some important underlying themes about Japanese attitudes toward employment in both a corporate and public sense. As in any healthy economy, fluctuations are a normal occurrence. Competition in various markets creates new jobs and leaves behind old ones. What is often overlooked in the economics here is that with these jobs, many of the individuals working them are left behind as well. In his article, Guzewicz points out that society tends to emphasize economic success rather than failure. This has deep implication for the workers that are left behind, as they typically go unnoticed and under the radar. The day laborers, foreign guest workers and new homeless come to represent this group in Japan, as they are competing for many of the same lower-level and part time jobs. They are economically linked by their necessity for jobs to provide for themselves and their families. They are also linked by the inherent social struggle they face as the Japanese economy rebounds from its collapse. In such a tightly homogenous society as Japan is, group mentality and recognition creates a strong social influence on those unable to work or meet their financial obligations. This economic link between the different working, or, trying-to-find-work groups, is clearly seen in the way by which the three demographics live in specific parts of the city; separate from the “respectable” Japanese. Fowler exemplifies this in his study of Sanya, a part of Tokyo that has historically been the geographic region occupied by the day laborers. These people have often left behind families and lives often because 2007-02-19T22:00:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examination-of-Unemployment-in-Japan-s-Economy-32659.aspx The Institution of Lifetime Employment in Japan Lifetime employment in Japan has long been regarded as one of the stereotypical features in the Japanese workplace. Our readings have shown us varying degrees of lifetime employment’s viability as an institution in different work environments and social classes. Exemplified through ethnographies about line workers at Yusumi Motors and the Azumi lingerie factory, the office ladies and salaried men in a Japanese bank, and the social elite of Japan’s doozoku geisha, it can be seen that there are elements of lifetime employment in each example as well as some important biases and inconsistencies in each. At Yusumi Motors, Joshua Roth’s study was to examine how the factory ran and what it was like to be a foreign working alongside the Japanese. Studying the relationship between foreign and domestic workers on the line at Yusumi gives us some insight into the validity of a lifetime employment system in Japan. It is important to mention here that this study contains some biases as it is a narrow view of only one company and hence may not be reflective of all Japanese workplaces. It is also important to note again that Roth’s study is on the work and workers of the factory and not lifetime employment. Speculation on lifetime employment at Yusumi may not be completely representative of the system. Another bias of importance is that Roth came to Yusumi as an outsider, where there are a lot of foreign workers whom are not typically brought on to stay till retirement. This could affect Roth’s views on Yusumi as a lifetime employer. As Roth explains in his piece, lifetime employment systems in Japan have been waning as a result of the Japanese financial crisis. Companies seek to hire cheaper labor often found by bringing in foreign workers and day-laborers, which reflects a shift in the traditional commitment a Japanese company has towards its employees. As these workers are not necessarily long-term investments for the company, they do not receive the typical incentives to stay on for lifetime employment. At Yusumi this was evident. Recent economic difficulties in Japan have led to an influx of foreign and guest workers in places like Yusumi. Immigrant workers create cheap and expendable labor. What this meant at Yusumi in terms of lifetime employment was that foreign and Japanese workers became distinguished. Jobs that foreigners took became associated with unacceptable work for the 2007-02-19T21:57:52-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Institution-of-Lifetime-Employment-in-Japan-32657.aspx The Social Construction of Race What is race? It is defined as descendants of a common ancestor; one of the distinct variations of the human species; race or lineage. (Websters New Dictionary 1998). As our society becomes more educated the debate on whether or not this is the true definition of race, or as today’s Sociologists see it, is race merely socially constructed. Race, as it applies across scientific lines, is determinate to represent the human species as a whole, therefore there is but one race…. Human. The readings of “ House behind the Cedars” by Charles W. Chestnut, “Black like Me “ written by John Howard Griffin, and Life On The Color Line: The true Story of a white Boy Who Discovered He Was Black, By Gregory Howard William’s, ask the question of the determination of race. This question is still being asked from the early nineteen hundreds to the late fifty’s and up until the recent nineties. Many descendants of duel ethnicities are asking of question of “ who am I”. They are confused as to where they fit into the equation of the categorization of race We are still consumed with the notion that there is some possible generalization that can used to determine who belongs and who doesn’t, to a certain category of ethnicity. Throughout the process of natural selection, uninhibited love and the freedom of choice, we humans continue to cloud the reality for the concept of race. This social construction of race no longer holds as a scientific factor. Physical features such as skin color and eyes and hair have been proven scientifically to be components of the location of environment. These traits were not only used to identify one “race” from another, but also as a measure to “prove” racial superiority. As we move forward in our human history the debate of nature Vs nurture proves to be a progressive thought pattern for today’s Sociologist. John Warwick (who is considered a mulatto) demonstrates this theory, as he successfully integrates into the dominant white society. After having studying, practiced and mastered the cultural values that are expected of the privileged class he is excepted as such However, he is aware that during this time,“of certain law [s] the instrument by which tyranny riveted the chains upon it’s victims, had revolted now and than against the senseless and unnatural prejudice by which a race 2007-02-02T18:07:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Social-Construction-of-Race-32549.aspx Studying the Economic Environment The economic environment consists of factors that influence the consumers buying power. A consumers buying power will depend on many economic trends such as income, prices, savings and credit. Therefore it is important that marketers become aware of these trends that significantly influence the consumers spending patterns and buying behavior. Arnott’s is a multinational company in Australia and many other foreign countries The major threats, opportunities and trends, the economic environment has posed to the marketers of Arnott’s, are factors that have had significant impact on the stability of the company. In 2001 Arnott’s experienced its most significant threat to the company especially, to its employees. Arnott’s closed its Burwood manufacturing plant in Melbourne, which resulted in 550 employees loosing their jobs. The most highlighting economic effect to this situation was that the total budgeted cost for the “reconfiguration” exceeded $30 million, in addition causing a reduction in production operations and hence the profitability and capital of the company. Arnott’s marketing managers will have to find its funds from its other invested companies in order to allocate the costs from its reconfiguration decision. It was suggested that the closing of the Arnott’s manufacturing plants were a result to management problems of low profile and persistent labour. As a consequence the company has lost a potential market, consumers in this market will shift their buying behaviour and decisions to other biscuit companies as Arnott’s will no longer be available to them therefore the company will also loose both its profits and its consumers. Another relative threat for the company was the Australian government. The food processing industry has been a target of State and Federal governments who attempt to induce higher exports, which in effect has caused hundreds of dollars and hence in addition a reduction in consumer buying power as exports become limited and prices increase. The outcome was a management system that was a highly formal beaurocratic organization, and in addition, slow and ineffectual. Managers on salaries of $70,000 a year took their instructions from junior employees. This management system clearly could not have delivered the levels of continuous productivity improvement that Campbell applies as a benchmark to their global operations, therefore slow productivity and reduced net profits are significant economic threats for Arnott’s marketers. Major economic opportunities Arnott’s has faced have been both negative and positive influences. The most highlighting experience of opportunity for Arnott’s was when 2007-02-02T17:49:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Studying-the-Economic-Environment-32540.aspx Parallel Language Development in Deaf and Hearing Children Much of the past research on language development has focused on auditory language learned by hearing children. Recently, researchers such as Jamieson (1995) and Masataka (1992) have begun to study whether language acquisition proceeds in the same manner for deaf children as for hearing children. Results from studies of hearing children learning different languages have shown that the first stage in the acquisition of language is babbling, which usually appears between 7 and 10 months (Lane, Hoffmeister, & Bahan, 1996). Next, between the ages of 12 and 18 months, children make one-word utterances, and by 22 months, most children are at the two-word utterance stage. Children begin to modify words and learn rules for sentence construction by 36 months (Lame at al., 1996). Parents play an important role in the language development of their children. One unique manner in which parents, and many other adults, talk to children is called "motherese." Motherese is characterized by short sentences, changes in voice fluctuation, slow tempo, and repetition of words. The properties of motherese are thought to enhance early language acquisition by eliciting the infant's attention and demonstrating important aspects of the language (Masataka, 1992). Also, the richness of the language environment the child is exposed to, usually measured by the frequency and type of word the child hears, is positively correlated with the development of language (Levine, 1981). Children also take active control of language learning. Through babbling, by which an infant repeats consonant and vowel combinations, the child gains experience in language. Once the child reaches the level of speaking word sequences in the native language, ha or she begins to acquire grammatical rules for sentences (Bark, 1997). Although children in this stage frequently make grammatical mistakes, these mistakes are evidence that children are learning and thinking about grammatical rules (Croweon, 1994). private speech, or speech that is spoken aloud but not meant for the benefit of others, is another milestone in the language development of children. Private speech is a factor in cognitive development that helps link thought and language (Jamieson, 1995). Language Development in Deaf Children So far, language acquisition has only been discussed in terms of children who learn language by hearing those around them speak. However, there is a substantial subset of children who cannot do this because they are deaf. Most of the research in the past dealing with language development has 2007-02-02T17:34:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Parallel-Language-Development-in-Deaf-and-Hearing-Children-32530.aspx Slavery by Wilson Salman During the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and part of the Nineteenth Century the White people of North America used the Black people of Africa as slaves to benefit their interests. White people created a climate of superiority of their race over the Black African race that in some places, still lingers on today. The American Civil War however, was a key turning point for the Black African race. Through their actions and the political actions of President Lincoln and his administration, Black Africans set a presedent for their freedom, equality and iberation. A very important aspect of Blacks proving themselves was that of the Black Man acting as a soldier in the Civil War. During the Civil War the official decision to use Blacks as soldiers in the Union Army was a slow gradual process and a series of strategic political decisions. The actual use of Blacks as soldiers in the Union Army was completed by a series of actions the Black Man performed that won him the respect of becoming a soldier. The two differ in that it was to President Lincoln's benefit to enlist Blacks as soldiers when he did. Whereas the later was the Black Man's will to fight for his freedom and prove himself as an equal human being. However, because the Black population was barred from entering the army under a 1792 law(4) the Black Man becoming a soldier was not officially recognized until late 1862. "There was strong anti-Black prejudice among most people in the free states, and in the loyal slave states the idea of arming the Black man was anthema"(1). This statement directly reflects the generally held fear White people had about putting Blacks on the fighting line of the armies in the Civil War. Whites felt that the Civil War was a war started upon the White Man's issues and what possible reason would the Black Man have for wanting to fight in this war. On the contrary The Black Man saw The Civil War as an opportunity to win freedom and gain respect(2). Blacks in the North who were free from slavery willingly pledged their service to fight in the Union Army however, their allegiance was denied by President Lincoln on political grounds. Lincoln realized that the issue of Black soldiers would be intolerable by the public and would not be accepted. Initially, the Union Army utilized Northern Blacks from 2007-01-19T14:47:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Slavery--32423.aspx Collapse of the Soviet Union by Wilson Salman The Soviet Union was a global superpower, possessing the largest armed forces on the planet with military bases from Angola in Africa, to Vietnam in South-East Asia, to Cuba in the Americas. When Mikhail Gorbachev succeeded Konstantin Chernenko as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in March 1985, nobody expected than in less than seven years the USSR would disintergrate into fifteen separate states. Gorbachev's attempt at democratising the totalitarian Soviet system backfired on him as the Soviet republics began to revolt against Moscow's control. This was not a case of economic and political crisis producing liberalisation and democratisation. Rather, it was liberalisation and democratisation that brought the regime to crisis point. After coming to power, Gorbachev implemented a domestic economic reforms that he hoped would improve living standards and worker productivity as part of his perestroika (reconstruction) program. The Law on Cooperatives, enacted in May 1987, was perhaps the most radical of the economic reforms during the early part of the Gorbachev era. For the first time since Vladimir Lenin's New Economic Policy, the law permitted private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors. The law initially imposed high taxes and employment restrictions, but it later revised these to avoid discouraging private-sector activity. Under this provision, cooperative restaurants, shops, and manufacturers became part of the Soviet scene. Gorbachev's introduction of glasnost (openness) gave new freedoms to the people, such as a greater freedom of speech; a radical change as control of speech and suppression of government criticism had previously been a central part of the Soviet system. The press became far less controlled and thousands of political prisoners and many dissidents were released in the spirit of glasnost. In January 1987, Gorbachev called for demokratizatsiya (democratization) — the infusion of democratic elements such as multicandidate elections into the Soviet political process. In June 1988, at the CPSU's Nineteenth Party Conference, Gorbachev launched radical reforms meant to reduce party control of the government apparatus. In December 1988, the Supreme Soviet approved the formation of a Congress of People's Deputies, which constitutional amendments had established as the Soviet Union's new legislative body. Abroad, Gorbachev sought to improve relations and trade with the West. On October 11 1986, Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan met in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss reducing intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe. This led to the 2007-01-19T14:37:08-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Collapse-of-the-Soviet-Union-32422.aspx Sleep Disorders Child Sleep Disorders Current research has confirmed that children are not getting the sleep they need these days. Children these days appear to be doing worse in school and have reduced attention spans. Most parents are not aware of a common problem effecting thousands of children in this country: sleep disorders. Parents often fail to follow there children's sleeping patterns which can result in some serious side effects if that child has a sleep disorder. A study done at Tulane University in New Orleans studied about 300 first graders that preformed poorly in school. They found that 18 per cent showed signs of a sleeping problem. The percentage of children with bad grades found to have sleeping problems was six to nine times higher than found in a previous study done over all of the childhood population. (The Toronto Star). Most people believe that sleep disorders only affect adults but in reality 30% of all children have some sort of sleep disorder. (Burcum). Sleep disorders are defined as a group of syndromes characterized by disturbance in the patient's amount of sleep, quality or timing of sleep, or in behaviours or physiological conditions associated with sleep. To qualify for a diagnosis of sleep disorder, the condition must be a persistent problem, cause the patient significant emotional distress, and interfere with his or her social or occupational functioning. (Frey p265). Some sleep disorders can affect children of all ages. The sleep disorder that children are subject to often depends on their age and development. Sleep disorders change most frequent in the middle-school years. Children often experience more anxiety at this time. (Burcum). The source of the certain sleep disorder cannot normally be pin pointed in every case. Many factors come in to play when dealing with the cause of a sleep disruption. Parental characteristics, personality, psychosocial influences, education, parenting skills, stress, trauma, school, culture and personal health can all bring about sleeping disorders in young to middle-aged children. Some parents find that there children sleep too much, while others don't sleep enough. Some fall asleep at the wrong times while others can’t ever even get to sleep. There are about 100 different sleep disorders being researched currently. Although sleep is a basic behaviour in animals as well as humans, researchers still do not completely understand all of its functions and maintenance. In order to cure the child's sleep problem, you have 2007-01-12T14:26:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Child-Sleep-Disorders-32411.aspx Understanding the Foreign Culture of Japan Japan has a population of about 126 million (the eighth largest in the world), 75% of whom live in urban areas where population density is very high. In the industrial areas there is no discernible gap between cities. Yokohama and Tokyo, although separate in name, really make up a single urban metropolis - the largest in the world. Much of Japan however is very sparsely populated; there are large national parks and vast mountainous regions where the people's way of life is unrecognizable from urban Japan. In order to protect Japan's rice crops from cheaper foreign imports, rural lives are government protected, although for how long no one can be sure. Be it in the sparsely populated countryside or in the large cities, Japan is still a country of remarkable ethnic and cultural consistency. Inhabitants of non-Japanese origin make up only just over 1% of the overall population. The vast majority of these are Koreans. The ancestry of the Japanese is a matter of much debate. The indigenous population of Hokkaido originally included a variety of ethnic groups, now collectively known as the Ainu. Many place names in Japan can be traced back to the Ainu language. One striking thing about Japan is that amongst the young there is a whiff of rebellion in the air. Their parents were brought up with the promise of a job for life and worked day and night as the post-war bubble grew seemingly inevitably bigger. However, for the younger generation the bubble burst in the 80s crash and the old certainties no longer hold true. Add to this concoction, kids who have until now been denied nothing, who see no need to work the inflexible and long hours their parents did and the specter of rising unemployment and it is clear why dissatisfaction is growing. Symbolic of this is perhaps the furita, the twenty-somethings taking on a number of part time jobs and then going to Bali to escape for a month or two of surfing. Change is a slow process in Japan, a cultural reality not helped by the fact that politics are stagnant and the ruling LDP coalition has been in power for nearly all the post-war years. Economic problems and general dissatisfaction with the Japanese work miracle has meant an increase in crime. Having said all this, Japan is still a very wealthy and relatively extremely safe country. 2007-01-12T03:32:28-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-the-Foreign-Culture-of-Japan-32394.aspx Study on Drugs, Violence and Economics Introduction One point on which almost everyone interested in drug prohibition agrees is the existence of a connection between drugs and violent crime. The disagreement is on the form of the connection and the sign of the correlation. Supporters of drug prohibition typically argue that drug use leads to violent crime and should be illegal in part for that reason. Critics of the war on drugs argue that the attempt to prohibit drug use leads to violent crime and that that is one of the reasons drugs should be legal. A glance at the figures for U.S. murder rates over the course of this century provides some support for the critics' position (Figure 1).[1] Murder rates were high during the period of alcohol prohibition, fell after repeal, rose again with increased efforts to prohibit illegal drugs, and remain high. The impression given by the graph is confirmed by more sophisticated analysis. Jeffrey A. Miron has analyzed the relation between violent crime in the U.S., as measured by the murder rate, and the enforcement of drug prohibition (including alcohol prohibition) as measured by expenditures by the federal agencies in charge of enforcing prohibition (Figure 2), over the entire period for which murder rates are available on a national basis. His statistical results "suggest the homicide rate is currently 25%-75% higher than it would be in the absence of drug prohibition."[2] The case of the U.S. is particularly interesting for at least two reasons. One is that the U.S. murder rate is anomalously high relative to other countries that are otherwise similar–about 8 to 10 murders per 100,000 population over the past two decades, compared to 1 to 2 for countries such as Canada, Australia, the U.K. and countries in western Europe. The other is that the U.S. provides data on both the murder rate and enforcement of drug prohibition over a fairly long period of time. The high U.S. murder rate is frequently attributed to the high rate of gun ownership in the U.S., relative to most comparable nations. One problem with that explanation is that, while it is true that there is a significant correlation in international comparisons between gun ownership and murder rates, that correlation is driven by a single observation–the U.S. Regressions with the U.S. omitted show much weaker results, despite the existence of other countries with relatively high gun ownership rates–and without anomalously high murder rates. A 2007-01-11T19:54:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-on-Drugs-Violence-and-Economics-32375.aspx Evolution of Civilization Civilization first started when hunter and gathers crossed an economical threshold of immense significance. They began settling and domesticating plants and animals in order to survive. This mode of living steered the human society in altogether new direction and started a new period called the Neolithic Era. From this day forward, the human society began to evolve, creating an easier life style. The first step the human society made was developing a fine way to find food without having to move from place to place. They notice the life cycles of plants as well as how the temperature, the rain, and the sunshine effected the vegetation. Also, new tools made out of copper were developed to facilitate the agricultural work. Rice, beans, pepper, maize, yams, peas were some of the food that they cultivated. They also domesticated animals rather then stalking wild games. Sheeps, goats, chicken and pigs were the common domesticated animals. Agriculture made it easy for the society to expand its horizons. While food is being produced in a widely way, the population multiplies twice its original size. Therefore there are more people that helps to cultivate, producing more food and multiplying its population. While the population increased and land was scarce they began to stratify, dividing their valuable resource in unequal parts. This made the people to invent another strategy to keep surviving in this world. Due to the surplus of food it enable to some individual to concentrate their time and talent on enterprises such as pottery, metal working and textile production. From these services they began to exchange their enterprises for food. As time passed, cities established marketplace where attracted buyers and sellers from distant part of the world. This external trade made a mean to exchange food to food, thing to food or thing to thing, as well as exchanging thoughts and ideas. Ideas like metal working and agricultural techniques were spread through the world by trade. Writing was spread by the method of trade. Writing is a sophisticated cultural tradition that was originated invented for purposes of record keeping. It quickly became an undependable tool for government, administration, and trade. I t also made trade to be a little simpler by annotating who was in debt and what was the prices of the product. The earliest known writing came from Mesopotamia. They first experimented with pictographs representing sounds syllables and ideas as well as 2007-01-11T19:38:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evolution-of-Civilization-32371.aspx Benefits of British Production Outsourcing There are many reasons why a British based business today may want to transfer production overseas. One of the main reasons is because of the resources that are needed to produce the products. Resources can often be cheaper abroad and obviously reduce costs for the business. Also if the business moves closer to where the resources are then they will reduce the costs for shipping the resources over to Britain. Britain also has very busy roads that can cause transport to take much longer and therefore cost more. These reduced costs are clearly advantages to the business therefore giving a good reason to move abroad. Another good reason for a British based businesses to move abroad is if there is a higher demand for a product (that the business sells or may sell abroad in the future) than there is in Britain. The demand could be higher because of the current fashions and ‘hypes’ that there are in the country. This would mean the business can be closer to it’s customers and again reduce costs for moving the products around. Labour availability, costs and training can also be influencing factors for a business to move production overseas. There may be more available staff abroad than in the area of Britain the business is in. Potential staff for business abroad may be able to work for cheaper, reducing the businesses wages and salary costs. There could also be better or cheaper training of staff where the business may move its production. There are different Laws in different countries that could prove beneficial to a British business if it was to move its production. For example, a law that could benefit a business in the food industry is health and safety regulations, if the rules were more relaxed than in Britain a business can cut back on it’s regulations and therefore reducing costs. Also in some countries trade unions may be less powerful and in control than they are in Britain so the people running the business can have more control of decisions and actions taken. Another influencing factor is that now days with the Internet, any business can become global and sell products/services to anywhere in the world. Because the geographical position of an Internet business does not matter so much, the business could move abroad to where premises are cheaper than in Britain. Premises in Britain are well known 2007-01-11T04:58:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Benefits-of-British-Production-Outsourcing-32353.aspx The Disorder of Anorexia Nervosa Popularly known as the Slimmer’s disease, this is an extreme example of older children or young adults using food as a weapon to cope with what they see as insoluble problems in their lives. It can be interpreted as a weapon against family, teachers and themselves. Anorexia may start at different ages, but usually it is at a time when the issues of independence and self-esteem come to a head. Many anorexics feel they are in a struggle for independence they can’t win. That would explain why anorexia arises frequently with the on set of puberty. Many Anorexics get depressed because they may not weigh as much as another person but our body’s are built for a certain amount of weight and too little could be fatal. The term Anorexia Nervosa literally means loss of appetite due to nervous causes. An insecure girl may feel that in a culture that regards the thinner figure as desirable, it is tempting to go on a strict diet in order to maintain a slim shape. Anorexia must be thought as a state of mind and not a physical illness that can be cured like a cold. The symptoms of this disease are – • Extreme thinness • Cessation of menstruation • Growth of soft downy hair • Inability to eat to the point of starvation • Secretive eating habits to mask the true food intake Having Anorexia is also related to lack of Nutrients so to nurse someone with Anorexia back to health they need a diet with the following nutrients – • Protein • Calcium • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) • Vitamin B3 (Niacin) • Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) • Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) • Vitamin D • Vitamin E • Phosphorus • Iodine What needs to be taken into consideration when preparing meals for an anorexic is to bring out small servings regularly with good presentation so they don’t they don’t get turned of their food. Counselling is the basis of treatment. It is very important for anorexics to get the kind of help they need and initially they must be encouraged to recognize that something is wrong. Self help groups have excellent results. This involves working together with other anorexics where common problems can be shared, discussed and worked on. In severe cases, medical treatment may be necessary and the anorexic may need hospitalisation for controlled feeding and psychotherapy. Force-feeding may save a life in extreme examples, but will not exact a cure time and patience is important, especially with very young sufferers. Systems 2007-01-11T04:50:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Disorder-of-Anorexia-Nervosa-32350.aspx Study of Psychotic Disorder, Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is the most common of all psychotic disorders, yet it still occurs in only in 1% of the world’s population. It usually occurs in people of age 14-45, but it can strike anybody at anytime. Schizophrenia has many symptoms, causes, and treatments. Some people recover, some do not. Schizophrenia is an unpredictable and often debilitating disorder, and a common source of study in psychology. The website www.schizophrenia.com is an excellent source for anyone diagnosed with the illness or anyone with a friend or family member suffering from the illness. When someone cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imaginary, they may be described as having a psychotic illness. The most common type of psychotic illness is schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness and it is different for each person, but it usually involves a dramatic disorder in thoughts and feelings and results in behavior that may seem strange to other people. Some people hear voices, others see things that are not there, or feel they are being persecuted by mysterious, unseen stalkers. Some people only experience one episode of psychosis and some recover from schizophrenia. For others, schizophrenia is a long-term illness, but a combination of medication and talking therapies can help to control it and help a victim get on with their life. Some characteristics of schizophrenia are strange beliefs or thoughts with little no basis in reality. These are called delusions, and can be very disturbing. Examples of common delusions among schizophrenics include thinking that you have special powers or that someone on the street is trying to control your thoughts or feelings. The latter is also often redefined and called paranoid delusions. Another common symptom is hallucinations. This is the hearing, seeing, feeling or even smelling of things that are not there. A common example of this is hearing voices in one’s head. There are also changes in the thought process where victim’s thoughts are disconnected and random, inappropriate behavior, inability to feel emotion or feeling the wrong emotions at the wrong time, depression, and lack of concentration. Scientists do not know what causes schizophrenia but there are some known risk factors and identifying traits. Two such traits are differences in brain structure and brain function. Recently, studies have indicated that schizophrenia may also 2007-01-11T04:46:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-Psychotic-Disorder,-Schizophrenia-32349.aspx Native American Story I Heard The Owl Call My Name The spiritual, religious and cultural beliefs the Native Americans of Kingcome village possess are strong and tightly bound. They are connected physically and mentally to everything that surrounds them. The land, nature and people are a fundamental part of who they are. Yet the opportunities waiting for them in white society provide hope for a different life of freedom, independence, education and wealth. In Margaret Craven’s epic novel I Heard The Owl Call My Name, both characters, Gordon and Keetah face the problem of living in two completely different and contrasting worlds, the ‘Indian’ world and the ‘White’ world. In the novel the importance of land, nature and people form the basis of the Kwakwala tribes’ Indian culture and religious belief system. “The Indian knows his village and feels for his village as no white man for his country, his town, or even for his own bit of land” (Craven, 1976: 12) The idea of living in ‘both worlds’ causes inner and external turmoil for both Gordon and Keetah. Both know and feel for their village, yet have different hopes and aspirations as to what their futures may hold. They worry about fulfilling their own personal desires whilst at the same time trying to please the disapproving tribal elders, who believe that young Indians are lured into white society through temptations of education and a ‘better’ life. “ When the young leave, the world takes them, and damages them. They no longer listen when the elders speak. They go, and soon the village will go also. (Craven, 1976: 50) To the elders white society ‘damages’ young Indians, stripping them of their respect and understanding of Indian culture and influences them to practise what they see as the ‘negative’ ways of the whites’. It is through the so called ‘advantages’ present in white society that the elders believe will cause the inevitable downfall of their tribe, the disintegration of their way of life and their religious belief system. Gordon’s decision to leave the village and live permanently in white society is one of much deliberation. Although physically and mentally connected to the people of the village and its surroundings, he “feels himself trapped” (Craven, 1976: 23) in the Indian world. Gordon’s connections to the village are neither strong nor binding, as he yearns to return 2007-01-11T04:32:01-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Native-American-Story-I-Heard-The-Owl-Call-My-Name-32345.aspx “Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better” says by Henry Rollins. Most people, however, are terrified of living alone. They are used to living with others – children with parents, roommates with roommates, friends with friends, and husbands with wives. But I think everyone needs to know how to live along because in our life circumstances often force people to live alone. For example, many high school and college graduates move away from their hometowns and continue their educations or take jobs. Also, married people might feel they will always be together, but currently one out of two marriages ends in divorce or even sadder: the death of a spouse. These facts show that most people have to live by themselves at least once in their lives whether they want to or not. One good way to prepare for living alone is to learn how to take care of practical matters. For example, some students and newly single people might not know how to do something as simple as opening a checking account. When divorced or widowed people were married, perhaps the other spouse did the choosing or the couple made the decisions together. But how long can a person manage with a refrigerator that cannot be repaired or a car that will not run? The confidence that single people get from learning to deal with practical matters can boost their chances for establishing new friendships. When singles feel self-reliant, they can have an easier time getting out and meeting new people. Likewise, the idea of going alone to the beach or to parties can paralyze some singles. However, people alone usually find that almost everyone welcomes a new, friendly face. Probably the most difficult problem for people living alone is dealing with feelings of loneliness. At first, they have to understand the feeling. Some people confuse being alone with feeling lonely. I think they need to remember that unhappily married people can feel very lonely with spouses, and anyone can suffer from loneliness in a room crowded with friends. Second, people living alone have to fight any tendencies to get depressed. Depression can also drive people to fill the feeling of emptiness by getting into relationships or jobs that they do not truly want. Sometimes, for a short time, loneliness becomes my best friend and at this time I like 2007-01-10T23:25:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Academic-Essay-on-Loneliness-32332.aspx Economics of the European Economic Community The prospect of a united Europe has been in the minds of people since ancient times. In history, there have been many attempts to unify the European continent as one such as Charlemagne, Napoleon and Hitler. It is only now that the unification of Europe seems to be possible through the goal of the growing organization in Europe called the European Economic Community (EEC), or the Common Market. The EEC was in the process of cooperation and integration, which began in 1958 with only six members. Now the members who united are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom or Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. There countries all united for the same objectives which are expanding trade with other regions of the world, reducing tariffs among the member countries, lowering prices for consumers, and expanding employment and investment opportunities. While the nations of Europe try to work together towards this common goal of a unified Europe, it is necessary to look at the situation and ask if the EEC is truly having an effect on Europe. Single Market Part of the EEC is the free movements of goods. This applies to products within the members of the EEC. This movement involves abolishing custom duties, number amount of restrictions on trade, and the establishment of tariff within the community. This was made to eliminate obstacles of trading and now viewed in creating the internal market, which is when goods could move as freely as on a national market. A good effect of the uniting of the nations is the opportunity the workers can have. It would increase the community’s workers’ chances of finding work and adding to their professions because there will be no more boundaries. This would encourage many workers and encouraging the mobility of workers, as a way of stimulating the human resource response to the requirements of the employment market. Workers would process contracts throughout the community and this would promote mutual understanding, creating an even closer union among the people of Europe. This would be the main aim of the treaties. To eliminate the discrimination of professions, EEC agreed on free to exercise their profession throughout the community. This intention was mainly to ensure that self employed was able to freely exercise their professions in terms of establishment or freedom to provide services, 2007-01-09T02:14:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economics-of-the-European-Economic-Community-32304.aspx Freud's Theories of the Subconscious While administering hypnosis to patients suffering from hysteria, Freud realized that this practice was not a cure, but just a temporary fix. It was this event that created the framework for Freud’s idea of the subconscious, repression vs. aggression, dreams, and civilation. The basis of his theory is that the mind is separated into two main factions: the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious being what we know to be happening and the unconscious is what is in our mind that we do not necessarily know about. Freud’s theory of the subconscious consists of three parts, the Id, the Ego, and the Super Ego and how they interact with one another. The Id is considered to be chaotic, the center for animalistic impulses, and is governed by the pleasure principle, otherwise known as instant gratification. It is also the location of the libido, which is our “life force” or our sexual drive. The Id’s driving instinct is for self-preservation. The Ego is quite different from the Id. It is the mediator between the Id and the Super Ego. The Ego is also the personality that we show others. It is based upon the reality principle. The Super Ego represents our conscience or moral standards. These ideas of right and wrong are permanently instilled in our minds by our parents or other authority figures. To sum this all up: the Id demands gratification, the Ego responds to reality, otherwise known as civilization, and the Superego which is our morals and also the demands of society. The subconscious is most evident in our dreams. While we are asleep our subconscious is constantly active. We create scenarios in which our true feelings are disguised but still able to be known. It is the job of the person who is administering the process of psychoanalysis to interpret our dreams and reveal its true meanings, our deep hidden thoughts of our Id. In the subconscious many actions take place such as, rationalization, denial, projection, and sublimation. During rationalization, we validate our actions with reason. With denial, we denunciate our feelings and pretend they aren’t true. In projection, much like denial, we deny what we feel and assume that someone else is experiencing the same feelings instead. Finally, sublimation is learning to 2007-01-08T20:48:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Freud-s-Theories-of-the-Subconscious-32279.aspx Analysis of the Canadian Healthcare System The Canadian healthcare system affects each and every citizen of this country. People of every background, be it economic or cultural, rely on our hospitals and healthcare professionals to care for us in times of need. One of the many reasons that Canada is rated again and again to be the best country in the world to live in, is the fact that we can provide free basic healthcare to each and every citizen. But today in Canada, we are facing a healthcare crisis on many levels. Our hospitals are overcrowded, many of our top professionals choose to practice south of the border and our aging population must be cared for. These are just a few of the problems that must be dealt with quickly and effectively, to ensure the continued high standards of living we have come to enjoy. I believe that the single most important issue when it comes to healthcare in Canada, is how federal dollars will be spent. How this process is handled directly regulates the quality and type of care patients in each province will receive. There has historically been conflict between the provincial and federal governments when it comes to deciding how these dollars will be spent, but I believe that I will be able to come to a fair agreement with each and every premier. I propose that the federal spending be split 60:40, with 60% of the dollars being under the jurisdiction of the federal government and the remaining 40% to be spent at the discretion of the provincial governments. By doing this, the federal government could standardize many services, and be sure that be sure that no province is severely lacking in any one area. Each provincial government would then have the remaining sum of money to spend in areas that they feel need it. Under this new system, the tracking of how federal dollars are spent will be much more accurate, because a large sum is directly being spent by the federal government itself. Another problem in the past with distribution of federal dollars has been with Quebec and other more conservative provinces, which are more weak federalists. With this new proposal, each province will be able to spend a significant amount how they see fit, without the federal government intruding. A problem that is worsening in 2007-01-06T21:01:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Canadian-Healthcare-System-32255.aspx Childhood Thought Development on Marriage Would the child tend to have a negative view of the idea of marriage if his/her parents had been divorced? If the parents stayed married, would the child still be hopeful for their own marriage? I am interested in knowing how America’s young people regard the concept of marriage. I want to know if people still believe that marriage should last a lifetime. It seems more likely that people who had witnessed their parent’s difficult marriage/divorce have a more negative view of marriage, or be more cautious when approaching marriage. Although most of my subjects are relatively young and are not likely to have been married yet, I can analyze their attitude on the marriage that they may or may not be hopeful for in the future. The 35 participants of this survey were students from SCC. My questionnaire was comprised of two main sections. The first four questions were of age, gender, and if they had been married and divorced. The second part asked a series of questions that asked about attitudes on marriage, and their parents’ divorce, parents’ marriage, and personal feelings. I formulated a total of 11 questions: 1) Gender: Male Female 2) Age: _____ years old 3) Married: Yes No 4) Divorced: Yes No 5) Marriage is an event that I look to: Agree Disagree 6) I have no desire to get married: Agree Disagree 7) I would turn to my parents for advice on marriage: Agree Disagree 8) I believe marriage should last for life: Agree Disagree 9) Have your parents: a) never married each other b) divorced and neither parent has remarried c) divorced each other once and one or both parent has remarried d) divorced more than once e) never been divorced 10) Thinking about marriage makes me feel: a) fearful/gloomy b) happy/excited 11) Your original parents’ marriage is; a) affectionate b) dysfunctional ** A result will use alpha equal to 0.05 in my experiments. Out of the 35 participants, 12(34.4%) were male, and 23(65.7%) were female. The mean age was 18.66, with a standard deviation of 1.03. None of the participants had been divorced, and only one was married. The 2007-01-06T20:51:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Childhood-Thought-Development-on-Marriage-32251.aspx Elderly Care in Foreign Countries When you think of growing old you think of spending time with family and friends, traveling and feeling financially secure to be able to retire. Unfortunately in today’s society the elderly is beginning to wonder if they will be able to retire, if social security will be available to them, if their families will be able to care for them or will some of them be forced to live in a retirement home. These hopes and fears are realized to all elderly people, weather they live in the United States or in other countries. In the past, China has been focused on keeping their population under control and not focusing on their aging population. During the baby boom of the 1950’s, China made it so couples could only have one child per family to control the countries population growth, which in fact is coming back to hurt them now. With so many elders retiring and drawing social security, there are not enough workers paying into the social security system to keep up with the demand. China has the largest population on elderly in the world with 120 million elders in their society and by 2050 China will have to deal with how they will be able to support over 400 million people over the age of 60. Traditionally in China, it is the oldest son’s responsibility to take care of the parents. The parents will live with the oldest son who provides them with everything they need finically and the other children are their to offer emotional support for the parents, but over the decades these roles have changed. Do to the fact that couples can only have one child per family and it is better to have a son to take care of you, couples give their daughters up for adoption in order to be able to keep their sons. This causes a problem because as of the twenty-first century there are more single middle-aged sons who are having to support their parents finically and emotionally all by themselves. China has only a little over 136,000 community centers for the elderly to live in. The best way to handle this situation is for a family based support system and community services. In Russia, the elderly population has gone up twenty-five percent in the last 2007-01-06T18:28:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Elderly-Care-in-Foreign-Countries-32249.aspx Differences Between the Left and Right Brain Left, right, left, right--the marching song of the two-mind movement. To hear them talk, you'd think that everyone had a second mind, suppressed by the first. That the vocal left brain dominated the poor artistic right brain. Preventing it from getting a creative thought in edgewise. Soon there will be a consciousness raising movement: Stop referring to the left cerebral hemisphere as the "dominant" one. Invent a more egalitarian term like co-chairperson. Co-chairhemisphere? Alas. Were cerebral physiology so simple! If there were strong dominating influences, it would make our research far easier. It is unfortunate that "dominance" is a word with two entirely different meanings, even within psychology. When talking about pecking order, dominant refers to an animal that usually wins in a one-on-one encounter, the animal that can approach, threaten, and successfully displace another animal from food, mates, or the best nesting place. In talking about the cerebral hemispheres, however, dominant is merely a shortening of the technical term "language-dominant hemisphere." It is the outcome of a test to find out where language lives in a person's brain, such as injecting anesthetics into the left and right carotid arteries and seeing when the patient stops talking (or the simpler, but not as accurate, test that merely involves having the subject look at a dot in the middle of a screen and then briefly flashing words to the left or right of the fixation point; people with left-brain language will have an easier time with right-sided words since the information goes first to left brain). Although a few percent of people have right brains that are language-dominant, about 93 percent of us use the left side. A few percent have "mixed dominance," where both sides are used for language (that is, injecting anesthetics on either side will interfere with speech). But the term hardly refers to language dominating art or music: it's just which side is more essential for language than the other. Shades of gray become black and white when the dichotomizers go into action. But the real problem is that most of the creativity arguments have about as much to do with the brain as does the English language. The structure of the brain probably has a lot to do with the capability for, even the "deep structure" of, language--but brains hardly come in Chinese, Swahili, and English flavors. Like English per se, the creativity 2007-01-04T23:31:48-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Differences-Between-the-Left-and-Right-Brain-32233.aspx Measuring Chemical Imbalances from Childhood Abuse Background Bulimia nervosa (BN) is reported to co-occur with childhood abuse and alterations in central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) and cortisol mechanisms. However, findings also link childhood abuse to anomalous 5-HT and cortisol function, and this motivated us to explore relationships between childhood abuse and neurobiological variations in BN. Methods Thirty-five bulimic and 25 nonbulimic women were assessed for childhood physical and sexual abuse, eating symptoms, and comorbid psychopathological tendencies. These women provided blood samples for measurement of platelet hydrogen-3–paroxetine binding and serial prolactin and cortisol responses following oral administration of the partial 5-HT agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP). Results Bulimic women showed markedly lower mean ±SD density (Bmax) of paroxetine-binding sites (631.12 ±341.58) than did normal eaters (1213.00 ±628.74) (t54 = -4.47; P = .001). Paroxetine binding did not vary with childhood abuse. In contrast, measures of peak change on prolactin levels after m-CPP administration (peak prolactin) indicated blunted response in abused bulimic women (7.26 ±7.06), nonabused bulimic women (5.62 ±3.95), and abused women who were normal eaters (5.73 ±5.19) compared with nonabused women who were normal eaters (13.57 ±9.94) (F3,51 = 3.04, P = .04). Furthermore, individuals reporting childhood abuse showed decreased plasma cortisol levels relative to nonabused women who were normal eaters. Conclusion Findings imply that BN and childhood abuse are both generally associated with reduced 5-HT tone but that childhood abuse may be somewhat more specifically linked to reduced cortisol levels (ie, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) activity. Findings link traumatic experiences to alterations in central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) and cortisol systems. For example, data have linked posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to reduced platelet binding of the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor hydrogen-3–paroxetine ([3H]-paroxetine)1 and childhood abuse (in women with personality disorders) to "blunting" of prolactin and cortisol following the partial 5-HT agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP).2 Various traumas have similarly been associated with decreased resting cortisol and altered cortisol stress responses, suggesting posttraumatic alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.3, 4 Findings in bulimia nervosa (BN) indicate comparable anomalies. Consistent with reduced 5-HT activity, studies document decreased 5-HT metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid,5 reduced platelet binding of [3H]-paroxetine,6 and blunted prolactin responses to m-CPP.7 Suggesting altered cortisol function, one study8 links atypical depression (ie, with hyperphagia and hypersomnolence) in BN to reduced plasma cortisol; another9 links BN, in general, to decreased nocturnal and postglucose cortisol responses. Since many bulimic women report childhood sexual and physical abuse,10, 11 one obvious conjecture is that neurobiological and psychopathological variations in 2007-01-03T21:41:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Measuring-Chemical-Imbalances-from-Childhood-Abuse-32207.aspx A History of Body Piercing throughout Society Throughout history people have decorated and altered the appearance of their bodies in many different ways. Body piercing is one of the oldest and most interesting forms of body modification, yet the reasons for piercing the body are as diverse as the cultures they come from. Throughout history body piercing have been practiced by many cultures for many centuries; it is believed as long as five thousand years. Body piercing was often identified with royalty and portrayed courage and virility. Egyptian Pharaohs pierced their navels as a rite of passage. Roman soldiers pierced their nipples to show their manhood. Mayans pierced their tongues as a spiritual ritual, and both sexes of Victorian royalty chose nipple and genital piercing. In our culture we have brought to the mainstream some of these ancient and tribal practices. The big difference here is the expression of self choice. In our more permissive modern day society an individual can pierce their body for any number of the reasons listed above, but is not limited or obligated to a specific set of rules or conduct. Another unique principal behind modern day piercing is that unless the piercing has been overstretched, it can be viewed as temporary. The person can take out the jewelry if he/she desires and re-transform their "look" again and again! We believe that much of the recent attraction and popularity of this "piercing renaissance" stems from the fact that up until the present - people were just unaware it was possible to pierce the body in so many different ways! Nose piercing is very attractive, and can accentuate the face, because the nose is the face's most prominent feature; Leonardo Da Vinci believed that the nose set the character of the whole face. Nose piercing was first recorded in the Middle East aproximately 4,000 years ago, it is mentioned in The Bible in Genesis 24:22 Abraham requested his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant found Rebekah, and one of the gifts he gave her was a "golden earring" the original Hebrew word used was Shanf, which also translates as "nose-ring". This practice is still followed among the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, and the Bedouins of the Middle East, the size of the ring denotes the wealth of the family. It is given by the husband to his wife at the 2007-01-03T16:05:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-Body-Piercing-Throughout-Society-32186.aspx Important Characteristics to Leadership The transition of power is about to take place. The old leader, looking worn and weary speaks of all the year has meant; thanks the many who have helped. There is measured applause and the old leader shakes the hand of the new leader. As practiced words are spoken outlining the vision for the following year, neither leader's attention is on the words. The departing leader feels renewed, relieved and saddened at the same time. The new leader has moments of self congratulation, self doubt and terror. Both have sought the mantle of leadership and on this day in some way, both have reached the defining moment. Leadership is a learned behavior. Rarely is one born with the ability to lead. Even charisma is learned. Though many may dream of a leadership role, it is often dismissed as "impossible." We often think of leaders as a single personality type, "born to lead." But in reality all that leaders have in common is the initiative and the desire. There is no one leadership personality. Leaders are forged from all types. Leadership is the ability to get people to follow. Leadership is more than getting people to do what is asked. A good leader motivates people to want to do what is asked. A leader must provide a clear vision, a direction. They must know where they are going and why. They must communicate that vision clearly and with a passion. The passion and logic of the vision must motivate the followers to make the vision their own. Developing Leadership Skills Self analysis: There are many tools (such as the Personal Profile System from Carlson Learning Company) that will help to define strengths and weaknesses. You may be asked to take them as part of a business or leadership course. There is no right type for leadership, but a person must recognize their type and then work to strengthen their own weaknesses, as well as use their basic strengths in the area of self growth. Get involved: In order to be a leader, it is important to join and participate in a variety of organizations, particularly the professional organizations. One should first look at the mission of each group and the internal workings of each group. Looking at the current leaders reflects the society's values. Are these individuals heavily involved in research, clinical practice, teaching, do they all represent a specific type of 2006-12-29T18:24:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Important-Characteristics-to-Leadership-32171.aspx The Importance Of Education For Development GATE's chairman and CEO, Mr. Glenn Jones, has said that "Education is the great hope for the survival of humankind and for the forward progress of civilization." The French revolutionary Danton said more than two centuries ago, "After bread, education." Education is the most basic necessity after those that are vital to life itself--food, clothing, and shelter. It is education that lifts people out of the state of chronic poverty in which they are constantly struggling to fulfill basic needs such as these. The truth is that all people have a right to have these basic needs fulfilled, and they also have a right to education. In this regard, the world is not doing very well. More than 836 million adults in the developing world are illiterate, according to surveys by UNESCO. Around the world, one of every eight children is not enrolled in primary school, and more than one third of adolescents are not in high school. It is no coincidence that the vast majority of these unschooled youngsters and illiterate adults can be found in the poorest countries on earth. The direct link between poverty and lack of educational opportunities has been demonstrated many times over. As Lyndon Johnson said during the War on Poverty in the 1960s, "Poverty has many roots, but the tap root is ignorance." While everyone has a contribution to make in furthering our educational progress, basic education is a fundamental right, and it is the responsibility of governments to provide it. The huge gaps in opportunity that we witness in our world are just one form of injustice, and states are bound by duty and by law to strive for justice. Quite simply, we are not investing enough in education. I am more familiar with the situation in Latin America than in other areas of the world, and I can tell you that in many of our countries, we are condemning our children to be poor laborers, just as their grandparents were. Instead of preparing them for the twenty-first century, we are sending them back to the nineteenth century. We can do much better than this. I have recently proposed that the next government of Costa Rica set and reach the goal of having universal education through the age of seventeen by the year 2006. In order to do this, we will have to increase the share of our budget that 2006-12-29T18:04:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-Of-Education-For-Development-32168.aspx Reasons for Immigration Coming from a life of poverty and despair would cause anyone to search for a better life; a life in which there is the belief that all of your dreams can come true. This is the belief that many Mexican immigrants had about “El Norte,” they believed that the north would provide them with the opportunity that their life in Mexico had not. Many Immigrants believed that the United States was “the land of opportunity,” a place to find a successful job and live out the life that one only dreamt about living. The North was an open paradise for the immigrants. They were told by the people who had already ventured to the north that the United States was a “simple life, in which one could live like a king or queen, but in reality immigrants were treated like slaves in the new country that promised them their dreams. Most Immigrants who enter the United States are searching for work and the opportunity to live a better life. They are from small towns deep within Mexico that do not offer much opportunity for the people of the town to live a prosperous life and to provide for their family. In the small town of Sierra Mixteco, men women and children arrived in town at various times of the day bent over loads of fire wood gathered from the mountains to sell in the town market (King, 14). For those who did not sell fire wood, they spent their time making straw hats to sell in the markets of larger towns, both of these jobs only provided pennies a day for the families to survive on. So the stories that the men brought back from the North gave the people of the small towns the hope that a better life did exist. It was typical for the men to travel to the north first in order to find a job and set up the life for his family. In the town of San Jeronimo, 85% of all men over the age of 15 had left the village in search of work in other parts of Mexico and in the United States (Light, 14). The men would make the trip alone and would send the money that they had made to their wives and children back in the 2006-12-29T16:56:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reasons-for-Immigration--32163.aspx Study of the Women of Afghanistan Since the Taliban took power in 1996, women have been persecuted and threatened in public for not following the laws of the Taliban. First of all, Women are not allowed to work or even go out in public without a male relative. Secondly, Depression is becoming so big that it has reached emergency levels. Lastly, It is a t the point where the term “human rights violations” has become an understatement. Women have been beaten and stoned to death for not following the strict laws and rules of the government of Afghanistan. Professional women such as professors, translators, doctors, lawyers have been forced from their jobs and restricted to their homes, they cannot be seen in public without a burqua and must were silent shoes so that they will not be heard. Homes in witch women lived the windows had to be painted so that they would never be seen by outsiders. The women must wear silent shoes so that when they go out they are not heard. A women was beaten to death by an angry mob of fundamentalists for accidentally exposing her arm, another women was also stoned for trying to leave the country with a man that was not a relative. Women who were once educator and doctors are now severely restricted and treated as subhuman. They live in fear of their lives for the slightest misbehavior. Women without male relatives are either starving to death or begging on the street because they don’t have the right to work. Depression in Afghanistan is becoming so widespread that it has reached emergency levels. There is no way in such an Islamic society to know the suicide rate but they estimate that suicide rates among women are extremely high. Women that cannot find proper medication and treatment for severe depression would rather take their lives than live in such conditions. At one of the rare hospitals for women, a reporter found still, nearly lifeless bodies lying motionless on top of beds, wrapped in their burqua, unwilling to speak eat, or do anything. Others have gone mad and were seen crouched in corners, perpetually rocking or crying, most in fear. When what little medication that is left finally runs out, one doctor is considering leaving these women in front of the presidents residence as a form of protest. Women suffer from deep depression 2006-12-19T17:06:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-the-Women-of-Afghanistan-32091.aspx Nature Versus Nurture Debate in Psychology When I was a young child, people always used to squabble over whether I was more like my mother or my father. Some people swore that not only was the physical resemblance to my mother similar, but our personalities were eerily identical. Others argued that my father and I were carbon copies of each other, right down to our Scorpio wit. Then later in life I found myself assimilated more and more to my best friend, who I hadn’t grown up with, but had begun to spend every waking minute with during my early teenage years. People swore we were sisters, and agreed that we were twins separated at birth. So is the development of my personality mapped out before my birth, thanks to my parent’s genes, or is my personality a result of my day to day experiences? This is the essence of the controversial nature-nurture issue. The nature-nurture issue is the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions of genes and experience to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. In my mind, heredity is without question a major factor in the development of people’s personalities, and nowhere is this more apparent than in my life. Some of my similarities to my parents are so unintentional that I find myself a bit irritated when I realize that I am emulating them so closely. An excellent example of this issue is my similarities to my father presently. Even before I was born, my father was always a good talker. He was the salesman type, the type that could sell anything to anybody. He is a fast talker, and also used his gift to get things for free wherever he went. God only knows where his gift came from (perhaps his father) but somehow I wound up with it. I was always the one that had that priceless ability to talk myself out of trouble under any circumstances, and we would often joke that I “got it from my dad’s side”. As I have come to learn more about heredity and, specifically, the nature-nurture issue, I can’t help but wonder if qualities such as the “salesman” quality are indeed passed down to me through my father’s genes, or if it’s just something that I picked up from him during my childhood. The nurture part of the equation suggests that I obtained this 2006-12-19T16:47:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nature-Versus-Nurture-Debate-in-Psychology-32085.aspx Schizophrenia Research Essay “What is schizophrenia?” … “A schizophrenic is a person who has split personalities…” NOT!!! The common belief of the American society is that schizophrenia refers to a person with split or multiple personalities. When in fact it is not that at all, but instead it something deeper that severely affects the human mind. Being schizophrenic affects a person in so many ways, physically, mentally, and especially emotionally. Many schizophrenics are characterized by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and speech, bizarre behavior, and social withdrawal. Many schizophrenics find themselves withdrawing from the ones around them. I feel that this happens because the society around them is so insensitive to their needs and more importantly, their feelings. Schizophrenics, in my opinion, need love and care to feel like they are not alone in this his world. Unfortunately, many do face the world alone and helpless because of the events that could have led to the cause of schizophrenia. It is caused by a variety of factors, some may be biological and others could be the events in their lives left them feeling lonely, depressed, or unloved. I became aware of this illness in the beginning of my junior year. I have not yet been personally exposed to it, but by researching it, I found a great interest in the illness and the people who are diagnosed with it. The thing that interests me the most are the actions that schizophrenics take, and the fact that many feel so alone. As I began my research for this project I began to see that a majority of the community surrounding me knew very little of it and how it affects society. I personally do not know of anyone diagnosed with schizophrenia. I do however have relationships with other people who have personal relationships with schizophrenics. This increased my interest in this subject and began my journey to finding several answers to several questions. Schizophrenia is an important topic not only for myself, but also for the rest of society. As I was doing my research, I noticed that we, the American society, were not to sensitive about the subject. For example, in the newspaper, The Record, a headline stated “The SCHIZO Knicks beat the Sixers.” This obviously showed the lack of knowledge that many people had towards schizophrenia. Saying “Schizo” is like saying “Nigger”. It’s offensive to say 2006-12-19T02:19:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Schizophrenia-Research-Essay-32042.aspx Arranged Marriage in Societies In this study, I studied the topic of arranged marriages. Some of the areas that I covered were the history of arranged marriages, the future of them, what is in involved in the process as well as how people feel about them in today’s society. I followed 3 methods of research. The first was reading through books and journals as well as searching on the Internet for other people’s theories and background information on this topic. The second method was conducting a survey that led me to see how normal people in today’s society felt towards arranged marriages. And the last method was interviewing a couple who had married back 25 years ago in the form of an arranged marriage and we discussed how they felt about it and whether or not they would impose that upon their children. In today’s society, arranged marriages amongst South Asians is not as common as it once was. In this literature, we will explore the different aspects or arranged marriages mainly in the South Asian culture but also in other cultures as well. This review also makes reference to the other cultures that participate in this custom, as well as how society has portrayed it then and now. The Process As far as India is concerned, arranged marriages have been taking place since the beginning of time. It was very simple. The man needed a wife, the young woman a husband. Interested friends and relatives created opportunities for them to meet (MacMillan, 1988). Back even before the 1800’s, it was highly unlikely that the women be aloud to meet or even speak to who had been chosen for her. When one’s parents felt that it was time for their child to be married, they would spread the word around their village. Suitable matches would be found. By suitable, one means of the same cast, wealth and social standing. This is extremely important because the arranged marriage tends to be a union of two families of strong moral and cultural values it provides checks and balances against areas that may splinter it, such as infidelity (Mathur, 2001) In every village, there is at least one female whose profession is to do the introducing and her whole career is finding mates for single males and females. 2006-12-18T18:14:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Arranged-Marriage-in-Societies-32013.aspx Monopolies Defined A monopoly, by definition, is an organization which engages in unfair and often unethical business practices to dominate an industry and eliminate all competition which might inhibit their profits. In the latter stages of the 19th and the early stages of the 20th centuries, the United States passed several crucial acts, most notably the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act, which made it illegal to own a monopoly in the United States. Since the early part of this century, the government has only come into battle with a couple organizations on these grounds. The two most notable of these are AT&T and IBM. The Department of Justice won the case against AT&T and forced the company to split into the many so-called "Baby Bells" and "Ma Bell", or AT&T, the long-distance company. The other notable case was the DOJ vs. IBM. Though the Department of Justice eventually dropped its case, IBM split itself up a mere two years later. A big software corporation, Microsoft, is the target latest of the antitrust trial. It has a current market capitalization of $323 billion, and used to be the highest valued corporation in world before a court ruled on April3, 2000 that Microsoft violated the antitrust laws on. On the other hand, Microsoft immediately announced its appeal on the same day. The government’s central argument has been that Microsoft employed predatory tactics in the browser market, not for the purpose of dominating in the browser market, but for the purpose of protecting its dominance in the operating system software market. To substantiate this claim, the government has argued that Microsoft spent more money improving IE than could be justified on the basis of its likely return in the browser market alone. Actually, the decision to sell IE at zero price reveals that Microsoft was not motivated by obtaining profits in the browser market. The integration of IE into Windows was solely for the purpose of harming Netscape, and Microsoft used its power in the OS market to negotiate contracts with PC manufacturers and web service providers that had the effect of excluding Netscape from major segments of the browser market. The OS market is characterized by the presence of network effects, which means that the value of a product is higher if more people buy it. For example, the more people who own fax machines, the 2006-12-13T01:07:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Monopolies-Defined--31979.aspx Marriage in Russia It is common sense that as time progresses, changes occur, whether they are intentional, planned changes or not. When large, full-scale societal changes occur, however, there is often even greater fluctuation among the other aspects of society. Marriage has long been held as an institution that upholds the ideals of a nation, culture, or tribe. The ideas that are validated by this institution often manifest themselves in other parts of the society. Because marriage is such an integral part of social ideology, it is no wonder that it would be affected by vast changes in other institutions in a society. The changes that have occurred in Russia since the downfall of the Soviet Union are a prime example of this. Because of the economic strife and political change that occurred during the breakup of the Soviet Union and the consequent fall of Communism, the marriage rate decreased tremendously. Although the Cold War never actually escalated to a tangible conflict between the two nations, it was in virtually every other sense, a tactical war. The advent of war, no matter how long it has been anticipated, inevitably comes as a shocking surprise. Its outbreak is experienced as a great crisis full of stress and uncertainty. The sense of insecurity is not nourished solely by the particular event which sets it off…but also upon whatever factors may give rise to personal insecurity in industrial society: competitive pressures in markets, achievement competition, gaps between personal aspirations for success and frustrated endeavors, etc. The intensity and volume of insecurity at the outbreak of war focuses and polarizes all otherwise dispersed and segmented feelings of insecurity.(Gerth, 341) It seems, evident, then, that chaos ensued, as the Cold War began. The Communism which had provided for the needs of the Soviet people was under close scrutiny, to see if it would be capable of continuing to provide for the needs of the people and withstand the pressures from outside, as well. When Communism fell, a new sense of insecurity entered into the Russian people. They no longer knew where they would get their next meal, many times, much less were they concerned about marriage. According to statistics, the marriage rate in the Soviet Union has been steadily declining since 1970, while the divorce 2006-12-08T03:02:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Marriage-in-Russia--31945.aspx The Current Problem of Famine in Africa This paper is about two African third world countries that have serious problems with hunger, Ethiopia and Sudan. Looking at the people, the land, and the history in each country, a comparison will be made about the causes and effects of famine. Famine in Ethiopia and Sudan is apparently due to ethics, politics, and global weather patterns, but the specific causes of famine in these two countries differ greatly. Famine has stricken both Ethiopia and Sudan very harshly, with many people dying of starvation and others just waiting to die from the horrible hunger. Starvation threatens 365,000 people in Sudan, with the numbers just increasing, with no sign that they will stop increasing either (Nelan, 20). The whole country of Sudan is going through these troubles, but the famine is having its biggest impact in the Southwest and the Northern areas of Sudan (Nelan, 22). Throughout the whole country, 2.5 million square miles of land are empty, without crops that could hold valuable food for the starving people in Sudan. Those numbers are almost nothing compared to the country of Ethiopia though. It is estimated that in Ethiopia there are 4.6 million people starving or currently dead (www.news). Part of this is due to the fact that their crops became stunted drastically with the elongated dry season and an exceptionally short rainy season (www.news). All of these things make people miserable so they are forced to focus on other things to try and block out the famine troubles in both countries. Wars and other hardships have, and still are dominating the attention of the government to try to focus on something besides their own famine troubles. Ethiopia is constantly fighting “border wars” with their neighboring country Eritrea (Keller, 46). Some people in Ethiopia go as far as to fast to protest the fighting that is going on (Keller, 47). Even with the little food they have to begin with, they choose to fast to get the Government’s attention. In Sudan though, the famine does not escape the people’s attention, with their constant riots in order to try and stop the horrendous famine (Prusher, 7). But the government has done nothing, in fact they have caused more trouble by causing civil wars between Islamic Fundamentalists, and Christians (Prusher, 7). In both countries, the main focus is always is on the 2006-12-07T19:31:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Current-Problem-of-Famine-in-Africa-31934.aspx The Black Robes and Huron Nation Religion To the natives, dreams were very important because they guided them and also showed the future. The Huron nation had shamans to interpret the dreams that their tribe had. When the Black Robes and French arrived the Huron originally thought that they were demons come to steal there souls. When the Black Robes told them about their paradise the Huron laughed because in their paradise everyone lived as spirits and the warriors hunted spirit animals at night. The Huron believed in many spirits and for example the spirit who guided you into paradise was the She-Manitou. One amazing belief they had was that if you cried out when you died the killer would have your soul. Death Ceremonies The Huron were a little brutal with their dead. If you died in the bush you were left to rot there! It was different though if they had time to prepare your burial. Your most precious possessions were placed with you and then you were placed in a tree. If you were close to death then a shaman would be summoned to try and save you. Ceremonies and Celebrations The Huron had many different types ceremonies and celebrations. For example they had a hunting ceremony where the hunters would dance and pray for a good hunt. They wore elaborate clothes with beads and feathers imbedded in the cloth. They didn’t ever use instruments except the drums and their own voices. Often there were celebrations that lasted for days. Clothing The Huron wore leather clothes in summer as was customary among Native American tribes. In the winter they wore heavy fur coats over top of their leather clothes. When war broke out they covered their faces with war paint. One thing they were meticulously known for was that they always shaved their facial hair off. Education When the Black Robes came over, many of the inventions they had startled and surprised the Hurons. They had no written language and most of their knowledge was shared among the tribes. They needed no road signs because they could tell where they were because of the trees. Any Huron had an incredible knowledge of the environment around him. They often relied on their village elder or shaman for advice. Weapons and Warfare The Huron nation used only 3 weapons. They had the normal bow and 2006-12-07T19:26:37-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Black-Robes-and-Huron-Nation-31931.aspx Cultural Differences Between French and America There are many cultural differences between the United States and France. Some of these are simply social and others are cultural. The differences include different freedoms that have been given to French teens and not to Americans. Some of these include; drinking, driving, school, and many others that are not as obvious. Education in France is really different than in the US. You need a high school degree for almost anything in France. Even some of the “burger flipping” jobs require a degree of some kind. Consequently education is taken very seriously and it is very difficult. Students in middle school will go to school six days a week, and it is not uncommon to stay until four or five in the evening. They study all the time, and also many different subjects. They are required to take at least two foreign languages, some take even more. French students usually know what field they are going into by the time they leave middle school. This allows them to go into a more specific high school, and get classes that are more angled towards there future. In the US. It is very common for students to not really have an idea of what they are going to do as the receive their diploma at graduation. Before a French student leaves middle school he has to take a very hard test, in the subjects of; French, math history and geography. They also have to take even a harder one to get out of high school. This test is called the Bac. They are first tested on French at the end of there eleventh grade and then the next year they have to take another which covers math, science, history geography, ECT.. This test is very hard and it is done through out the country all on the same day. The pass rate has risen in the last couple of years to 65-70%. This percent to many is a little too high. They feel that the test should be a bit harder. In the United States there is a cultural, and maturity coming, this happens when you turn sixteen and you receive your driving license. This allows you 2006-12-07T15:29:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cultural-Differences-Between-French-and-America-31923.aspx The Effects of Stress A person who is stressed typically has anxious thoughts and difficulty concentrating or remembering. Stress can also change outward behaviors. Teeth clenching, hand wringing, pacing, nail biting, and heavy breathing are common signs of stress. People also feel physically different when they are stressed. Butterflies in the stomach, cold hands and feet, dry mouth, and increased heart rate are all physiological effects of stress that we associate with the emotion of anxiety. Stress is caused when a person is very angry or depressed and cannot control the anger or depression so he or she holds it in making him or herself stressed out. This can cause that person to act differently emotionally and physically. There are many changes that will happen to the body. Some things that will happen to the body are your muscles and vessels will get tightened and smaller if you are tense. This will cause sallow skin over a period of time. The release of neuropeptides can also trigger hives and make worse of existing cases of eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. Moreover, under stress, your bodily secretions increase, resulting in breakouts and body odor, and your antibody levels decrease, making you more prone to cold sores. Valacyclovir, a prescription medication, is commonly used to reduce healing time of cold sores. There are things people can do to make them go away, such as hives which usually go away on their own, but to make the healing go faster, treat them with an OTC 1 percent hydrocortisone cream. Mild cases of eczema and psoriasis can also be treated with this, but for more severe cases, dermatologists can prescribe a higher percentage hydrocortisone for eczema, a vitamin A cream that speeds up cell renewal for psoriasis. Benzoyl peroxide cream betters rosacea bumps, but a dermatologist can also prescribe Metro Gel, Noritate, or Novocet Lotion to ease redness. Acne and body odor are easier to treat. Use a salicylic acid cream for acne. Antiperspirants containing some form of aluminum salt are the best way to halt excess sweating and to increase efficacy. Dr. Bank suggested a twice-a-day application to ensure that the active ingredient penetrates your sweat glands. Also, use an antibacterial soap in the shower to banish odor-producing bacteria. You will probably know someone is being stressed out when a person appraises an event as stressful; the body undergoes a number of changes that 2006-12-05T16:07:15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Stress-31898.aspx The intention of this essay is to explore the issues surrounding research carried out by Nottingham University. The research has suggested that students lose their morals after returning from working in business. In this essay I am trying to find out why this is. I think that everybody starts out with their own opinions or views on how to judge ethics. For some religions, cultures or age groups the view has a major difference. In business I think it is different again, surely the whole point of being in business is to try to make your business as successful as possible? And the way that business is measured as successful is usually in the way of its profits. But if the public were to disagree with a company’s ethics, would it affect their profits? In my opinion, this quote from Ambrose Bierce says a lot about the way businesses pass the blame “Corporation, n., An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility.” (Ambrose Bierce, 1906) I had a look for examples of business practising immoral behaviour. When I started my research I was looking for the actual manager, being the person to blame for the immorals. I found that it was very hard to get one single name or one person who was taking the blame. My first thoughts are that the Nottingham university students are following the example of businesses we see as successful. But when we look closer at how the businesses made their profits, lots of them have sacrificed their morals in order to make money. So are we just following in their footsteps, knowing that the easiest way to become successful is to abandon our morals? One of the first companies I came across was ‘Nestle’. Nestle is a worldwide company that has thousands of products though it is mainly known for its breakfast cereals and coffee. Two years ago, there was a huge boycott against nestle for their breast milk sales in Africa. Nestle owns over 50% of the worlds breast milk substitute market and most of its products are sold in third world countries. It started by nestle promoting their products by giving away free samples to struggling mothers. In promotional advertising in these countries nestle was pushing the idea that twins and premature babies need to have breast milk substitute as they are unable to breastfeed. Also, a lot of their instructions or health warnings are 2006-12-05T13:22:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethics-Vs-Profits-31876.aspx Social Effects of Free Market Capitalism in America The United States is the most developed capitalist economy in the world. The markets within the economy provide profit-motivated companies endless potential in the pursuance of pecuniary accumulation. Throughout the twentieth-century competitive companies have implemented modernized managerial procedures designed to raise profits by reducing unnecessary costs. These cost-saving procedures have had a substantial effect on society and particularly members of the working class. Managers and owners of these competitive and self-motivated companies have consistently worked throughout this century to exploit the most controllable component of the production process: the worker. The worker has been forced by the influence of powerful and affluent business owners to work in conditions hazardous to their well being in addition to preposterously menial compensation. It was the masterful manipulation of society and legislation through strategic objectives that the low-wage workers were coerced into this position of destitute. The strategies of the affluent fragment of society were conceived for the selfish purpose of monetary gain. The campaigns to augment the business position within the capitalist economy were designed to weaken organized labor, reduce corporate costs, gain legislative control and reduce international competition at the expense of the working class. The owners have gained and continue to gain considerable wealth from these strategies. To understand why the owners of the powerful companies operate in such a selfish manner, we must look at particular fundamentals of both capitalism and corporation strategy. Once these rudiments are understood, we will more clearly relate the perspective of the profit-seeking corporations of America. Legal discussion will also be included to show how the capital possessing elite operate through political parties to achieve their financial objectives. It is the synergist effect of these numerous strategies that have lead to the widening income gap in America, persistent attempts of contraction in worker’s rights and increased corporate political influence. These campaigns have come at an expense to Americans and will only continue to benefit the affluent society. Creating Corporate Value The United States is a capitalist economy. In a capitalist economy individuals who wish to gain wealth can invest their capital into markets in hopes of future returns. If this investment gains in value then the investor has earned a return, which can be reinvested. This creates a cycle of investing and reinvesting for potential future return. This wealth creating cycle is a fairly simple concept to understand, 2006-12-04T20:45:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Effects-of-Free-Market-Capitalism-in-America-31857.aspx Fiscal Policy in the United States “Real plans for real people.” This was the coined theme for the Bush campaign back in September. As far as I can see with his tax cut plan in doesn’t involve “real people”. It may just depend on your definition of the term, but the “real people” of America are the middle class, hard working families. Bush’s tax plan is now said to be $1.6 trillion over a ten year period of time. Most of this money will go to the upper brackets, the “better off”. Granted they do pay the most money, but then when you think about it, why do they need the cut? Can they not afford to pay their taxes? In this economic time of a feared recession our government should be doing everything in their power to avoid this situation. Having a prolonged tax cut does nothing to help the economy now. By the time the money is given back we and more than likely to have already succeeded this economic down low. The economist will tell you the in order to dodge this the money must be given back now. If the money is given back earlier there is a better chance of people spending it and stimulating economic activity. When looked at by this point of view I most definitely agree with Laura D’Andrea Tyson when she said, “Bush wants a large tax cut for political reasons, not economic ones.” When Robert J. Barro discuses how he thinks the tax cut will stimulate investment and growth, increase incentives to work and save, and lower the amount of money Congress can spend, I find myself disagreeing with him. As said earlier Bush’s tax cut will do very little, if anything, to help stimulate growth. Ten years is a very long time. As for increasing the incentive to work and save, I find it hard to want to save my money when they take it away for taxes. If you want to give an incentive to save, why not turn to VAT’s instead of income taxes? I know this would be an almost impossible thing to accomplish but the way it was explained to me was so clear. I thought in my head, “Duh! Why don’t people explore this option?” Also, if they lower 2006-12-04T20:42:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fiscal-Policy-in-the-United-States-31856.aspx An Overview of Canada No change is needed to encourage Canada to develop a stronger national unity. Just some guidance on the system we already have. Canada’s current federal governing system is built on a strong platform of Canadian pride. Although this system has failed to provide Canada with a firm grasp on achieving oneness, we have experienced enough to push our way through the crowds. Canada is home to a wide variety of cultural groups. The Canadian landscape consists of mountains, tundra, forests, lakes, and prairies. The climate is wet, sunny, cold, and snowy… all at the same time. Not any where in the world will you find a country that offers such diversity. The people of Canada must take advantage of all that this country has to offer. Using the true contrast to unite Canadians, rather than separating them. By all working together, and developing Canada to it’s greatest potential, will real unity be achieved. Canada has made a choice to govern it’s nation by federalism. By doing this Canada has agreed to unite. This will improve the protection of the future, prosperity, and freedom. So if Canada has agreed to unite, it should eventually be accomplished. Dreams don’t come true over night. But as Canadians, we should believe that we can make this country a promising nation for all. Once you have set a goal you don’t back down. Canada has remained truthful to creating a secure future for everyone. Canada’s goal is marriage, not divorce. This requires love from both sides. The people of Canada must support and accept decisions made by the government, and trust they are for the better. In return the government should allow more say by the public. What is it that Canadians really want? How can everyone’s needs be met, and standard of living be equalized. Doing this will ensure a win-win situation for everyone. The results will not lead to divorce ( complete independent nations), nor will it lead to a "one-power" relationship (unitary system). Being the Prime Minister of Canada is no easy job. It’s like being the parent of two younger children. If one gets something, the other wants it too. Nothing is fair, nothing is even. But in the end they realize everything was to benefit them. Like Canada’s east and west. The governments have to provide for the high demands in the 2006-11-17T02:29:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-Canada-31796.aspx Issues in the Australian Educational System "The Senate should pass vital the State Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Bill without further delay", Dr David Kemp, the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs said today. "Only when this Bill is passed will every school in the country be able to benefit from the record levels of funding it provides." The State Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Bill is the biggest ever investment by any Commonwealth government in primary and secondary education. It demonstrates the Commonwealth’s commitment to improving educational outcomes for all young Australians with increased funding, strategic intervention, improved standards and choice. It will boost public confidence in Government schools by providing not only record levels of funding, but also measures by which schools can demonstrate to parents that their children are receiving the quality education that is their democratic birthright. This legislation delivers some $22 billion to schools over the next four years and provides increased funding for all schools. Included in this legislation are. •implementation of the new socio-economic status (SES) funding arrangements for non-government schools which is essential to provide improved funding for schools serving the neediest communities.. "The former category 1 schools –the subject of so much media attention and pretended outrage from the Labor Party - will get about 2.8% of the total funding "said Dr Kemp. "The previous mechanism for funding non-government schools which the Labor Party put in place and twisted through constant political manipulation is now history," said Dr Kemp. "In its place is a fairer and more equitable funding model that provides a significant funding boost for the neediest non-government schools and which reflects the actual needs of parents with their children at these schools." •Funding for government schools over the next four years will total $8.6 billion. Government schools will receive $1.4 billion more in the next four year funding period than in the last quadrennium. The legislation also contains a streamlining of Commonwealth equity programs and much stronger accountability for Commonwealth funding. •The Commonwealth’s new Strategic Assistance for Improving Student Outcomes program is aimed at improving learning outcomes of students who are educationally disadvantaged, including student with disabilities and student struggling to reach the national performance benchmarks in literacy and numeracy This program will provide $1.2 billion over four years. The streamlining of the literacy and numeracy and special education programs gives education authorities greater 2006-11-17T02:23:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Issues-in-the-Australian-Educational-System-31794.aspx Abnormal Psychology Essay Psychological disorders are a part of abnormal behavior which scientists have yet been able to completely comprehend nor understand. However, they have discovered that anxiety plays an key role in the onset, and continued existence, of these disorders. With continued study and research, scientists have been able to classify different disorders in separate, distinct categories which makes it easier to treat and hopefully understand what the underlying causes of these disorders truly are; eventually leading to a cure. The first major classification of these disorders are the Anxiety Disorders which are “characterized by high levels of anxiety accompanied by patterns of ineffective, maladaptive behavior” (Smith 570). These disorders were once commonly referred to as neuroses, but that term is not used as frequently. These common disorders are classified into four different types, the first being Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Here the person “feels anxious and apprehensive, has a sense of impending disaster, and believes he is falling apart or losing control”(570). This disorder is sometimes difficult to diagnosis due to the fact that its symptoms closely resemble depression and other disorders. The second Anxiety Disorder is Panic Disorder which is “marked by the occurrence of panic attacks - sudden, severe states of anxiety so extreme that the individual is unable to function effectively for a time period that can range from minutes to hours”(571). People are diagnosed with this disorder when they have at least three of these attacks in a period of three weeks along with some of the physiological symptoms during the attack. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the third disorder, is “characterized by persistent, uncontrollable thoughts and repetitive, unavoidable, ritualistic acts that accomplish no practical end”(571). The most common obsessions are ones which deal with dirt, germs, disasters, and death. The final disorder are Phobic disorders which are “irrational fears of some object or situation that is accompanied by avoidance behavior”(572). They are classified into two separate groups - simple phobias, the fear of one specific thing; or complex phobia, the fear of numerous things usually accompanied by another disorder. A separate classification of psychological disorders are the Somatoform Disorders which involve complaints and symptoms involving the patients physical condition, but have no cause. For the most part the symptoms that these patients experience are not under their conscious control. The first disorder, Somatization Disorder (also known as hysteria), 2006-11-17T02:06:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abnormal-Psychology-Essay-31788.aspx [b]An Overview of Life in Mexico[/b] Since Mexico is such a close neighbor to the United States, one may find oneself curious of its culture. For those who have been curious enough to visit, there are usually no regrets for time well spent. Mexico has much to offer culturally. Its population is diverse and through the years, they have produced fine literature, art, and music. Moreover, because of Mexico’s closeness, the United States is easily able to relish its cuisine. It is becoming more common to come across a Spanish-speaking family or individual in the United States. It is also very common to find a preponderance of Spanish speaking people in a community as is evident in parts of California, Florida, New York, Texas, and New Mexico. There are well over 2 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles alone. Mexican people are crossing United States borders daily and settling in this country. As they become more a part of the country and integrate their background with American culture, a look at their culture becomes more enticing. Moreover, it becomes more important to be more sensitive linguistically. Firstly, we must accommodate Spanish speaking Mexicans in our businesses, stores, banks, and government buildings by including directions and signs in Spanish. Secondly, some of us may find it necessary to acclimate ourselves to the Spanish language in order to communicate effectively. This especially holds true for teachers that find themselves with a Spanish speaking student who is lonely and scared in an English speaking classroom. The intent of this unit is to allow elementary students the opportunity to discover Mexico and its culture. The way in which students will do this is with as many hands on activities as possible. Experiencing a particular subject matter in this hands on fashion will make learning more meaningful and exciting. For example, students will not just taste Mexican food, but they will cook it. They will read recipes, gather ingredients, and cook the food in the class. They will not just look at an article of traditional Mexican clothing and pass it around, but they will make clothing and wear it during the day. In addition to this, they will make murals in the style of famous Mexican artists and display them throughout the school. The more students can stay away from ditto sheets and the “paint by numbers” approach, the more effective this 2006-11-17T01:59:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-Life-in-Mexico-31784.aspx The Importance of Surroundings in Growing Up Love and hate is as clearly defined as black and white. Love, is an emotion like no other, the emotion that combines, affection, warmth, fondness and any feelings that makes us glow inside. Hate is also an intense feeling of dislike, pain and any feelings that make us bitter. The difference between the two is all but a thin line. The line can be crossed at an instant from the love between two siblings to hatred. These two feelings are an important part of my relationship with my sister. The only purpose that I served when I was of a younger age was to annoy and irritate my sister. Lorna, my dear sister, found without a doubt that I did this job remarkably well. My bothersome behavior came in my different forms. My constant laughing at any time of day or night for no particular reasons. I deliberately disturb my sister by jumping up and down in front of her face. Making noises just to annoy her such as “lala…haha…burp...” are also accompanied by funny faces such as sticking my tongue out and rolling it, crossing my eyes and walking in a non-sensible manner, all this to distract Lorna from her duty. Also, I would make up pointless and nonsensical remarks: “ What are you doing?…Do you like that pen?” while she was doing homework. Yet, all my annoyance and irritation is my sign that I love her and her importance to me. If my surrounding were without the present of Lorna then my life would be full of emptiness and boredom. Her screams of “Get Lost” would be missed dearly. My restlessness would grow greater as I would not have my sister to bother If she was not there for me to annoy as a daily reminder of the significant personal belongings in my life would be like a soccer team without a goalie. There would just be something missing. My endless attempts to scare her would never happen and our love for one and another will never grow. Even if she were here, and gone for a period of time, longing for her return would be like waiting for an eternity. Bonding through this method might be unique but this is our way. The many fights that I have encountered with my sister vary a great deal. They include pillow 2006-11-17T01:36:49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-of-Surroundings-in-Growing-Up-31774.aspx Lessons to Help Deal with Difficult People Almost everyone has an obnoxious person in there family or at their work. In this essay the writer will teach you how to deal with difficult people like this. “Since you can’t avoid difficult people” “You have to know how to cope with them, and the first step is understanding. The best approach is not to try to get them to change, but to find a way to work around them,” (Dr Allen Frances 287) These are the ways to try and deal with difficult people: Keep some emotional distance. Don’t take everything people say seriously, because most of the time they are very insecure and need something to make them selves feel better. If you work with someone who is self centered and is a co worker they will try and take all the credit for someone else’s work, because they are not happy with their own. Make sure that your expectations are realistic because if you are dating a person who is very silent, and does not express them selves, and always wants to be in control; Don’t expect them to change because they never will. Give them some of what they need, like when a person dresses very different it’s normally because they are seeking attention from others. So give them a quick glance to show you noticed them. If a worker suspects you are planning something he will get uncomfortable; Try to keep all your plains open. Watch out for “all or nothing” thinking. People have their own point of views about things and they tend to only see things their way. If someone is in a relationship with a person like this hang on for a ride, because when you agree with him everything turns out fine, and then you start stating your views you are totally wrong no question about it. Don’t attack them, you tell them how you feel or what you think with out putting them down. Many of these people are sensitive and scared of disapproval, and they will start to overreact. Hang in there with the people who you love and are difficult because they calm down between the ages of 40-50. Don’t take the rap, because when difficult people start flipping out over nothing 2006-11-15T22:39:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Lessons-to-Help-Deal-with-Difficult-People-31749.aspx www.citizen.org/trade/nafta/ Oregon’s largest export is suffering. Lumber prices are at the lowest weekly level in almost five years. You can’t blame a recession in the economy this time though. Lumber prices have fallen dramatically from the beginning of this year and there are many different causes for it. The price of framing lumber has dropped from a high of $401 to $274 per thousand feet, since the beginning of this fiscal year. As a result of the plunging lumber prices, layoffs, reduced work shifts and reduced operated hours will occur. This will affect our local economy drastically. The housing market has been flooded with homes since the beginning of this year and the homes aren’t selling. In the beginning of 2005, home developers and home buyers created a fast moving market place because of the low interest rates and low lumber prices, so homes were cheaper to buy and to build. This created a high demand for homes and when the demand is high, the price of homes is even higher. The mass builders took advantage of this and created an excess of homes. Then suddenly the homes stopped selling because of the high prices in the market, higher interest rates and high lumber prices. This has a direct correlation with the prices of Douglas fir 2-by-4s and the amount produced. When the demand of lumber was high, the supply of lumber was trying to keep up with high-speed housing market and the prices were at its peak. With the summer coming to an end, the peak home construction will slow even further and lumber price will continue to fall. November 14th, 2004: The issue of plummeting lumber prices arose like it would two years in advance from this date. This time when the lumber prices fell it was caused by foreign markets influencing our domestic market. January 2004, marked the tenth anniversary of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The introduction of NAFTA erased any tariffs that would be imposed on products entering American via the Canada-United States boarder or the Mexico-United States. This allowed the once high taxed foreign products to enter America free of charge. The continually growing influence of NAFTA, dictated whoever in North America that could produce the cheapest and highest quality product sold their product. This caused 2006-11-15T07:14:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economics-and-NAFTA-argue-31743.aspx Charles Robert Darwin The controversial argument between what man has grown up believing and the facts of science would set a landmark in the modern scientific community today. This landmark would be set in history by the English naturalist Charles Robert Darwin and his theory of man’s evolving genes in natural selection. Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. He was the fifth child and second son of Robert Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood . Charles Darwin’s father, Dr. Robert Darwin, was a well respected figure in Shrewsbury by both rich and poor. Dr. Robert Darwin was also a member of well-read people with strong Whig leanings. A Whig is a person that belonged to the Wig Party that championed for parliamentary reform . As a young child Charles, in his mind, was not a normal child for he was fond of doing very strange things. Some of these weird things were like the time when he beat a puppy just for the feeling of power. Another one of the strange things that Charles as a child did was that he would collect eggs but only take one egg from a bird nest at a time. The education that Charles received as a child was at first from his sister before going to day school. Unsucceful at school he was removed two years before completion. That summer he spent his time accompanying a doctor on his rounds. Later that year he went with his brother to Edinburgh University. Edinburgh University is England’s best University for medicine. The Darwins had been studying medicine there for three generations. This knowledge of medicine would come to great use when dissecting specimens. Charles Darwin had heard many times during his childhood from his father that, “people with powerful minds generally had memories that extended far back into there very early period of life” . Thus this statement that Charles heard from his father led him to believe he had a very powerful mind. This one statement is one of the many things that started Charles to become a great scientist. 2006-11-14T03:31:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Charles-Darwin--31732.aspx Studies on Augmentative or Alternative Communication After speech is acquired, we use verbal and nonverbal communication to manipulate our environment. We communicate to give and receive information, to express intentions, beliefs and feelings. We communicate to solve problems, to entertain and to interact. How can we communicate when we cannot speak or understand speech? The solution is called Augmentative or Alternative Communication (AAC), a broad field that teaches alternative forms of communication to enhance the lives of the disabled. AAC is the refinement of communication modes that are not widely used in our society to individuals whose disabilities prevent them from speaking or writing as effectively as the norm. Essentially AAC can be described as any system, method, or device that improves the ability for interaction, expanding the boundaries defined by nonverbal communication learned in the classroom. For young children, it has been named YAACK (AAC for Young Kids). (Bailey p.4) Although AAC is often used to refer to formal communication systems and devices such as sign language, communication boards, or voice output communication aids (VOCAs), it can include less sophisticated means of communication such as facial expressions, non-speech vocalizations, or specific gestures. AAC is used when a child does not develop communication in the normal fashion or experiences significant delay in its development. Ideally it will consist of more than one mode of communication, with the child learning to adapt communication modes according to environment, people, and activities at hand. With AAC, communication occurs with at least one other person to serve several functions: to obtain or reject something, to express emotional interactions, to receive and send information and ideas. (American p.6) A child needs AAC when his or her speech is not developing in the normal range, is temporarily unable to speak, or is unlikely to develop normally due to preexisting conditions. Candidates’ conditions for AAC include cerebral palsy, mental retardation, deafness, blindness and autism. Even Lou Gehrig’s disease and Parkinson’s may require some form of AAC. Certain temporary conditions like concussions and intubations will demand the use of some communication. (American pp.12-14) AAC is so important because much of a child’s’ cognitive, social, and academic progress depend on communication. A child with severe disabilities is often unable to learn the early cognitive and social skills on which conventional communication is based. Caregivers of 2006-11-03T01:09:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Studies-on-Augmentative-or-Alternative-Communication-31685.aspx Understanding International Business Environments Understanding the dynamics of the international business environment is a complex process because there are so many factors that can impinge the success or otherwise of an international business. The business environment is changing and its volatility is increased by the threat of competition and changing business culture. Most importantly, as MNCs venture into new and unknown grounds, they have to carefully consider respective countries’ risks that they are dealing with. Political Ideologies and Economics An ideology is a set of integrated beliefs, theories and doctrines that helps to direct actions of a society. Political ideology is almost intertwined with economic philosophy. For example, the political ideology in USA is grounded in the Constitution, which guarantees the rights of private property and the freedom of choice. This has helped to lay the foundation for US capitalism. A change in this fundamental ideology would alter the economic environment of the USA. The political and economic ideologies of nations are important factors in managing country risks. Political systems. In the extreme, there are two types of political systems: democracy and totalitarianism. Democracy is a system of government in which the people, either directly or through their elected officials, decide what is to be done. Good example include the USA, Canada, England and Australia. Common features of this system include (1) the right to express opinions freely (2) election of representatives for limited terms of office (3) an independent court system that protects individual property and rights and (4) a relatively nonpolitical bureaucracy and defense infrastructure that ensure the continued operation of the system. On the other hand, totalitarianism is a system of government in which one individual or political party maintains complete control and either refuses to recognise other parties or suppresses them. There are a number of types of totalitarianism that currently exist. The best known is communism in which the government owns all property and makes all decisions regarding production and distribution of goods and services. Two of the best examples are China and Cuba. Another form is theocratic totalitarianism, in which a religious group exercises total power and represses or persecutes non-orthodox factions. Iran and some of the sheikdoms of the Middle East are good examples. A third form is secular totalitarianism, in which the military controls the government and makes decisions, which it deems to be in the best interests of the 2006-10-31T22:49:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-International-Business-Environments-31652.aspx College Psychology Programs The mission of the College of Education is to prepare exemplary professional practitioners and scholars; to generate, use, and disseminate knowledge about teaching, learning, and human development; and to collaborate with 2006-10-29T21:42:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/College-Psychology-Programs-31616.aspx Marriage in the Colombian Kogi Tribe Marriage rituals exist in all types of societies whether it is in today’s society or past societies. Researching this particular topic, the Colombian Kogi Tribe, the role of women and their marriage rituals are very different in today’s post-modern society. This tribe is found in Santa Marta Colombia. They reside primarily in the Sierra Nevada, a place where snow can only be found in this South American country. Residing in the rainforest the Kogi Tribe migrated towards the Sierra Nevada for lack of salt and was the only tribe that was not decimated by the Spaniards. The Kogi Tribe were a culturally and technology advanced culture. Since they needed salt to survive the Kogi Tribe traded gold with the Spaniards in exchange for salt. The Kogi also view their creator as the Great Mother. They claim, “The Great Mother gave us what we needed to live and her teaching has not been forgotten right up to this day. We all still live by it.” (Falvey). A girl becomes a woman at menstruation and is right away ready for marriage and love. After the girl’s second menstruation she is placed aside and not allowed to be touched by anyone. A Mama speaks about this process, “So then, we know this, so even today we keep a young woman who has just had her first period in a corner, that woman cannot be touched. When she has had her second period, she has become a woman. Then she is ready to love, and then the Mama blesses the man, orders the man to confess. He orders the young woman to confess whether she has committed any sin without the Mama’s permission of her mother, then she asks for forgiveness and the Mama makes a payment, purifies the person so that she will be cleansed, will have clear mind, good heart, good soul and marries them.” (Falvey) In the Kogi Tribe marriage is considered long term monogamy. Marriage for love is viewed as a possibility but doesn’t necessarily always happen. Lineage orders must be met to balance the good of society when marriage comes into play, which is why arranged marriages are the basic process for the Kogi Tribe. The nuclear family is the basis for 2006-10-28T20:35:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Marriage-in-the-Colombian-Kogi-Tribe-31606.aspx Cost of Living Experiment I think this project was very realistic and easy to understand if you already have bill that you pay. Most of the simulations were things that come up every day that you have to take care of. In my simulation job I made $55,000 a year which is a little more than most people make. Running out of money wasn’t a issue, we had more than enough to get everything we wanted, we had a nice house, brand new car and enough money left over for anything that might pop up. The first day of our simulation there were of events that came up like your car getting recalled and you had to get a rental, your taxes went up on your house so you had to adjust you whole monthly budget. It was showing that these things can just happen and you need to have money to take care of it. On day two you friend asks you if you want to go on a trip to New York City and you can’t pass it up and you would probably spend a couple hundred dollars to have a good time. Not all the simulations cost you money, just like in real life. On day three of the simulation your boss gave you a two hundred-dollar bonus for working extra hard. Your neighbors that you shoveled their walk way for gave you one hundred and twenty dollars. For simulation day four we had to decide what things are likely to happen to us could cost us money or benefit us. For example when big sales happen your going to want to have money to spend, gas prices are always going up, and if you don’t have insurance on just about every thing that you own than it could get really expensive to fix things or health reasons. You also have bills that are very easy to forget about that come around once a year like registering your cars, which can get really expensive, if you own an expensive car. I have the a house with a pool table and a swimming pool, two car garage and the all the latest amenities. You can forget about bank service charges too, like on day five you when we had to review over our checkbook and make sure the balance is 2006-10-28T20:06:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cost-of-Living-Experiment-31598.aspx Insomnia, ‘the inability to sleep’ (Akrtdtedt, 2003), is today one of the most widespread sleeping disorder. Disturbing approximately 10-15% of the general populace, studies have publicised insomnia to last for a median of four years (Drake et al., 2003). While there has existed much inconsistency between three foremost classifications system, the mainstream ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV’ classification defines primary insomnia as the ‘complaint of difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or nonrestrictive sleep, persisting for longer than one month’ (Drake et al.,2003, p164). The complaint ought to go together with clinically important impairment in daytime function in which there is no particular cause such an additional sleep, psychiatric or medical disorder. Commonly the likely causes of insomnia are to be associated with increasing age, female gender, stressful work and physical workload (Akertedt., 2003) which generally has a significant negative impact on an individual’s work, physical, and social performance along with the total quality of life. Moreover the economic burden aliened, especially in terms of loss of productivity, work-related accidents and absenteeism, are vast. Yet, in spite of the numerous treatments available, both pharmacological and behavioral, the severity of the syndrome has been criticized for being ‘under-recognized’ and ‘under-treated’ (Drake et al, 2003). Hamlet himself sums it up well, ‘to sleep, perchance to dream-ay there’s the rub’, put simply, the chance of sleeping or perhaps dreaming is in fact extremely of the essence. The DSM-IV states that ‘many individuals with primary insomnia have a history of light or easily disturbed sleep’ (Drake et al, 2003, p167). Numerous studies over the years have also revealed medical conditions, hormonal fluctuations in women, genetic factors, responses to change or stress and working conditions to be the primary causes of insomnia. In one study, people on night shifts or on scheduled of two and three shifts tended to suffer more from sleep-related problems, including insomnia, than those of day shifts. The growing body of evidence suggests that shift work is associated with menstrual irregularities, reproductive disturbance, and risk of adverse pregnancy and sleep disturbance in women often leading to a prime cause in insomnia (Layback., 2002). Fluctuations in female and stress hormones play a major role in insomnia in women. Insomnia is perpetuated be psychological distress provoked by this lifestyle. According to Rogers, Zarick and Roth (2000), stress-induced situations may be the most universal causes of the disorder (Nordin, 2005). Recent work 2006-10-11T04:36:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Insomnia-Cause-and-Effects-and-Treatments-31516.aspx How Social Support in Relationships Affects One's Health A person's social interactions and relationship networks are often considered in evaluating one's health and well being. Many studies have shown increases in mental and physical health to be strongly related to the amount of social support available in a given situation. An often used definition or theory of social support comes from the work of Cobb who thought of "Social support as information that would lead a person to believe that he or she is cared for and loved; that he or she is esteemed and valued; and that he or she belongs to a network of communication and mutual obligation" (1976). Among this definition social support includes structural aspects of relationships, the existence of social ties and their interconnections. Social ties include, marital status, the number of relationships we have, the number of groups and organizations we have memberships in, and the amount of contact we have with family and friends. The above aspects of social support effects our well-being both positively and negatively. For instance, doctors are both the greatest source of distress and the most important source of support; they discover our health problems and yet they support us by listening or supplying us with antibiotics. Furthermore, while social support enhances our well-being to a point where there is an optimal level beyond which benefits diminish and may become negative, creating dependency. Also, social support can be reciprocal on one's health. Lack of social support could cause ill health while at the same time, ill health could cause a decline in social support. Sometimes support is offered with the best of intentions and yet somehow the recipient finds the support unhelpful. This situation occurs commonly in crisis events, such as the loss of a loved one. I have experienced the above, when my grandmother past on, she had Alzheimer's. There were many people who offered their support and said that her death was a blessing because she was no longer suffering. Though the statement was made with a helpful intent and yet I was left feeling misunderstood, as though my feelings were insignificant or unjustified. Perhaps outsiders are disillusioned to the recovery process of one who is recently bereaved and, because of their misconceptions, will often fail to offer helpful support to one in 2006-10-03T20:40:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Social-Support-in-Relationships-Affects-One-s-Health-31499.aspx "Using the case of the anti-Nike sweatshop labor campaign, discuss the basis, the process and the problems faced by new transnational social movement coalitions." In an increasingly globalized world Transnational Corporations (TNCs) have acquired unprecedented levels of power and autonomy. Spurred on by neo-liberal economic ideology, deregulation of markets and increasing international flows of capital, TNCs are relocating manufacturing to countries where labor costs are cheapest as a means of maximizing profits at the expense of social welfare. Whilst globalization has enabled TNCs to operate more freely in the international arena, it has also facilitated social interaction and social organization amongst actors by creating new channels of political participation and new identity discourses. Greater global interdependence and advancing communication and transportation technology has augmented relations between people across vast geographical divides leading to a growing awareness regarding the unequal relationship between the workers who produce goods and those that consume them. Resultant concerns amongst participants in international civil society about the lack of effective regulations controlling the activities of TNCs and the associated negative societal and environmental ramifications are finding expression in forms of globalized resistance against the hegemonic forces of neo-liberal capitalism. Consequently, increasing numbers of cross-boarder coalitions consisting of workers, activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are stepping into the void left by the retrenchment of nation-stare power. The international campaign mounted against Nike Inc., the worlds leading athletic shoe and sports-apparel company, to protest its involvement in sweatshop labour practices provides a useful example of the foundations, processes and difficulties that transnational social movement coalitions face when advocating for workers rights and greater corporate social responsibility. By using the case of anti-Nike campaign and applying theories relating to new transnational social movement coalitions (TSMC) this essay will attempt to provide an analysis of the organizational forms and manifold practices that activists and workers engaged in within the context of increasing globalization. Globalization and Transnational Social Movements The concept of ‘globalization’ is subject to multiple interpretations and as such lacks a single universally accepted definition. Broadly speaking however, it encompasses a multiplicity of interlocking and contradictory dynamics unfolding on a global scale, with powerful processes promoting homogenization and similitude existing paradoxically with forces which encourage heterogenization and diversity. The contemporary era is characterized by an intensification of processes associated with globalization, manifesting in uneven and unpredictable ways across economic, political, and social landscapes, and affecting the most local to global of 2006-09-28T11:08:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nike-Sweatshop-Campaign-and-Transnational-Social-Movements-31472.aspx What Life is Like Living on a Farm Three problems that occur when living on a farm are taking care of the farm animals, tolerating the wild animals, and keeping everything in order. Although these problems don’t seem very big, they are huge chores and are often way too much for one person to handle by him or herself. Usually, just as everything appears to be in order and all hard work has paid off, something breaks or a water line burst and chaos, once again, takes control of my life. Taking care of the farm animals is my biggest and most important problem. Carrying feed and grain to the horses may sound very simple, but if an animal does not eat, he may be sick or overgrazed. Horses are very moody toward each other, and an older and stronger male will sometimes fight the other colts and mares away from feeding. If something like this happens, I have to isolate the horses and carry each one of them a certain amount of feed. Later, I have to return and open the stalls to let them out to water. Once a week the horses are washed and groomed, and I ride them at least twice a week to make sure that they are staying fit and in good health. Although the horses are given the most attention and require the most care- taking, I also take care of other farm animals. I throw range pellets to the cattle, which have to be counted on a regular basis, and I feed the chickens and dogs, which have to have water carried to them by hand every day. Along with having to care for the animals on the farm, I am often forced to tolerate wild animals that decide to come along and do whatever they please to the animals on the farm or to the land. Snakes lie around the pond, keeping the livestock from drinking. They will eventually move, but if one holds its ground and strikes, it will cause serious damage and often kill an animal. Black bears love to roll barbed-wire fences into huge balls and play with them, leaving an open space in the fence that has to be replaced. Opossums come into the yard at night just to make the dogs bark and keep everyone in the 2006-08-31T18:14:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Life-is-Like-Living-on-a-Farm-31411.aspx Psychological Description of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disease that effects over 1 percent of the population. It can occur at any age but most commonly happens between 16-30. It leaves the patient confused in a chaotic state of mind with multiple debilitating mental confusion. The first of them being delusions, the patient is convinced that people around them can read their minds, and that they can read other peoples (British Journal of Psychology, 625). The patient then begins to believe that the people around them are plotting against them and are out to get them. Not only does the disease effect the patient mentally though, but also it starts to effect their physical sensations. The patients can`t interpret incoming sensations and can`t control their physical emotions, this effects the patients common sense of what to do in every day situations. For example when a person with normal mental health receives a gift their natural reaction would be to thank the person who gave it to them. A schizophrenic person would become confused and be unable to react and cope with the situation. The patient begins to get an altered sense of themselves and have an extremely hard time functioning in every day life. They start to believe they can control other people`s thoughts. They usually start to become violent because they get so confused with the thoughts of plots against them they believe they are defending themselves. A person who is diagnosed with a schizoid personality is basically on the way to having schizophrenia. It is considered a stage to the disease. The causes of each of the diseases are the same, and most of them are physical abnormalities of the brain. In over hundreds of studies on schizophrenia and similar mental conditions doctors have found some similar abnormalities in the brains of the patients. The first being enlarged ventricles in the brain (British Journal of Psychology, 697). The second being a reduced volume of gray matter in the brain, mainly in the temporal and frontal lobes (British Journal of Psychology, 110). The third is an enlarged amygdala and an increased number of white matter hypertesites (British Journal of Psychology, 260). Finally a set of neuropsychological abnorms such as cognitive functions, information processing, and verbal memory (Fourth Generation of Progress, 1245). In some other studies doctors have found a reduced prefrontal area. A doctor will not diagnose a person with 2006-08-31T18:05:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Description-of-Schizophrenia-31409.aspx Economic Systems and Participatory Development Perspective Trying to develop a country with a new economic system is the hardest thing to do in developing a country. Without a stable economy in a new country it will be impossible to maintain a true country. Participatory Development is the perspective for the basic need country. It is a strategy developing countries use to start out with the basics, and not spend a lot of money and then enhance their country as time and money become more efficient. Now the focus of this development is waiting until industrialization has produced a trickle-down effect, when it should be on directly raising their quality of life using strategies available now. This development is also defined as a sustainable development, which produces more and better-quality food to reduce malnutrition. Also it improves primary medical care, education, and housing. Economic growth is not a goal of this development, however, it may occur as a result of basic needs. If growth is made a primary objective in development it will reduce the poor’s quality of life, because scarce resources are redirected and invested in increasing the production of cash crops instead of food. Participatory Development allows ordinary people to improve their lives without industrialization first, because it calls for immediate failure. The definition of this development has emerged from experience by going through the trial and error process. They meet the basic needs of the community, participate in decisions, and use available resources they have around them and eliminate having to use big and expensive machines. This development needs to learn how to operate and use industrial machinery to their benefit. Also they need to work on the misdistribution of wealth and power between the domestic and international markets. Basic need projects are the only kind that makes sense to the majority of the world’s people. Industrialization with its long term promise of the trickle down benefits has not and will not ever solve the problems in global poverty. If these problems are not fixed properly, these countries will fail in their attempt to develop a successful country. Also they have locals participating in project planning and implementation; this is needed to make the change successful. The need to change is great, but time is short(Galbraith 103). In attempting to develop a new country there is 2006-08-31T17:47:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Systems-and-Participatory-Development-Perspective-31400.aspx What Makes People Take Risks? Have you ever felt you are on risk before? If yes, how do you feel at that moment? And would you like to do it again? The answers can be very different for each person. In order to know what the differences are we should know what risk is. Risk is some kind of possibility of suffering harm or loss or a situation involving uncertain danger. From the meaning of risk, people can look at risk in different point of view. Some people don't want to take or to deal with risk at all but some people want to take risks because of many reason; biological factors, getting self-confidence, and getting away from boring life. First of all, people have risk taking instinct, which causes them to deal with any dangerous situation eagerly. This might be due to a dangerous, difficult, and uncertain past that ancestors passed on that made them strong and well trained for taking risks. In the article "Taking the Bungee Plunge", Bensimhon (cited in Men’s Health, 1992) mentions the same thing that human being are intrinsic risk takers who survive and who thrive on risks. By this reason, it is obvious that some people want to take risk because they have risk taking instinct. In addition, Israeli scientists have found one kind of gene know as D4DR that influences people’s characteristics. The scientists believe that people who have the gene tend to look for thrills. This kind of gene, D4DR, is also called thrill-seeking gene. (“For Our Ancestors, Taking Risks Was a Good Bet”, 1999) In other words, the thrill-seeking gene in human is another reason that influenced people to take risk. Secondly, it’s mentioned in the Bensimhon’s article also about how people get confidence after thriving risks. In this case, people have the best moments when their body or mind is stretched to its limits while they are taking risks and after accomplishing it, they feel very confident. In addition, in the article “Risking Nature”, the author also mentions the same idea that people seek out nature even though it’s dangerous because of a desire for self-reliance. (“Risking Nature”, 1999) Naturally, people like to have freedom or to be self-reliance, so when they take risks, it’s like they can control their destiny by themselves. For example, when students have a chance to 2006-08-31T17:05:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Makes-People-Take-Risks-31385.aspx Studying Differences In Male and Female Communication People have different conversational styles that are influenced by their parents, age, class, and gender. Usually we are unaware that these and other aspects of our backgrounds influence our ways of talking. Since we don’t realize that others’ styles are different, we miscommmunicate with each other causing problems and conflicts in conversation. Conflicts are influenced by our gender and experienced everyday in the workplace, public, and private settings. Men and women both have many different conversational rituals. The common rituals among men often involve “using oppositions such as banter, joking, teasing, and playful put-downs.” (Tannen 23) They sometime come across as hostile and arrogant when they aren’t trying to be. The conversational rituals common among women are often ways of “maintaining an appearance of equality, taking into account the effort of the exchange on the other person, expending effort to downplay the speakers’ authority so they can get the job done without flexing their muscles in an obvious way.” (Tannen 23) Women use conversational strategies to avoid appearing conceited and take another persons feelings into account. They may seem less confident and competent that they really are. Both men and women feel often that they aren’t getting enough credit for what they have done, not being listen to, and aren’t getting ahead as fast as they should. Every individual has his or her own style. “Women are more likely to downplay Their certainty and learned as they were growing up that sounding too sure of themselves will make them unpopular. (Tannen 36) These reactions taught girls how they are expected to talk in order to be liked. “Women usually balance their own interests with those of the person they are talking to, they usually take into account the other persons feelings.” (Tannen 38) This is also similar to how girls show leadership and being a leader usually involves giving directions to others. “Many girls discover they get better results if they phrase their ideas as suggestions rather then orders.”(Tannen 39) While women may be more liked this makes them less capable and self-assured for the workplace. “Men are more likely to play down their doubts” but are expected to play by different rules. (Tannen 36) Boys usually don’t criticize each other for being confident with himself or taking charge because “high-status boys” are expected to give orders to the “low-status boys” who are around. 2006-08-29T15:41:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Studying-Differences-In-Male-and-Female-Communication-31376.aspx Behavioral Observations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. This may sound like a skipping record, but it is not. Tragically, it is just one of the many intense rituals that may plague the mind of someone who has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. Perhaps what is worse though is that these people are widely misunderstood, especially as children and teenagers. If the public was more educated about the causes, behaviors, and treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the people who suffer with it would not have to suffer in silence. The misconceptions about OCD are not all new. In the Middle Ages, for example, the Catholic Church thought that the symptoms of OCD were brought on by the devil. Unfortunately, things did not get any better as time progressed. Many years later in Victorian times, OCD sufferers were mocked as insane (Hollander, 1999). OCD even made an appearance in a classic piece of literature. In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth was a textbook example of someone with OCD. Her character, however was a madwoman, whose compulsive handwashing gave her lines like "Out damn spot! Out I say!" (Hollander, 1999). This type of public ridicule only added to the pain of those with OCD. This disorder does not only plague adults, it can start very early in childhood, and it impacts every aspect of what we know as normal life. A few years ago, a young girl appeared on an episode of Oprah to tell her story. "I get stuck in the mirror and have a hard time getting out" Darcie [an eleven-year old girl with OCD] said, fighting back tears. "I know I look okay, but I don't feel right. I don't feel comfortable if I leave. To people who hear this, it might sound strange. When you have OCD you know how it feels (Summers, 1999)." To read what Darcie said about her life with OCD is tragic. In his book, Everything In Its Place, television show host Marc Summers talked about his own childhood with the disorder. He went into detail when he wrote about the cleaning rituals he performed every Sunday from the time he was eight to sixteen, later saying that just like Darcie, everything had to be in its place (Summers, 1999). OCD does not only hurt 2006-08-27T23:13:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Behavioral-Observations-of-Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-31340.aspx Social Psychology and the Groupthink Theory In 1972, Irving L. Janis presented a set of hypothesis that he extracted from observing small groups performing problem-solving tasks; he collectively referred to these hypotheses as groupthink (Janis, 1972). He defined groupthink as “a quick and easy way to refer to a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action” (Janis, 1982, p.9). Groups are usually successful because group members bring varied ideas, collective knowledge, and they tend to be focused while working together. Groups can be advantageous to both individuals and businesses. They are valuable to individuals because they are able to learn new skills, get feedback from others, and recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. The most important function of groups for businesses is to accomplish tasks that individuals cannot do on their own. The Bay of Pigs invasion, Nixon’s Watergate cover-up, and the Challenger space shuttle explosion are examples of situations where group communication failed. Groupthink can lead to bad judgments and decisions being made. This paper will look at the conditions, the indicators or symptoms, and the ways to counteract groupthink. The conditions for groupthink to happen are important to recognize. When a homogenous, highly cohesive group is only concerned with maintaining unanimity, they fail to evaluate all their alternatives and options. It is obvious that a group suffers from groupthink when the group feels apathetic about its task; group members do not expect to be successful; one group member has very high credibility---group members tend to believe what he or she says; one group member is very persuasive; and group members do not usually challenge ideas; it is expected that group members will agree with one another (Beebe, Beebe, and Ivy, 2001, p. 282). The members also see themselves as part of an in-group working as an out-group opposed to their goals. The Challenger space shuttle disaster is what can happen when groupthink occurs. Stress can also be a condition that allows for groupthink to take place. As group members realize that immense external and internal pressures come with their task, the level of stress rises. The desire to reduce the stress motivates the members to come to an outcome quickly. 2006-08-27T23:03:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-and-the-Groupthink-Theory-31337.aspx Psychological Elements of Depression Depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized by feelings of worthlessness, guilt, sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness. It is different then normal sadness or grief from the loss of a loved one because it is persistent and severe. Clinical depression has many related symptoms trouble sleeping, eating disorders, withdrawal and inactivity, self-punishment, and loss of pleasure. People that are depressed do not like to do things they may usually like to. Surveys that have been taken that show approximately 20 in 100 people suffer from depression at any one time. About one if four Americans will suffer from a depression over the course of their lifetime. Depression strikes men and women of all ages, in all races, but most studies indicate that women are more often afflicted. There are two major forms of depression that people get. One form is called depressive disorder. It is diagnosed only by episodes of depression. Episodes can be short or long but are usually brought about by an incident in a persons life. An example of this is if someone close to them dies. The other kind is called bipolar or manic depressive illness, it is recognized by alternating depressed and manic episodes. This is an actual brain dysfunction. In the major depression or the depressed phase of bipolar illness, a depressed mood predominates, even though the patient may not be aware of feeling sad. Typically, he or she loses all interest in activities. Symptoms include sleep disturbances, not able to concentrate or to make decisions, loss of appetite or greatly increased appetite, slowed thinking and decreased energy feelings of worthlessness, guilt, hopelessness, diminished sexual interest, and recurrent thoughts of suicide and death, sometimes leading a person to actually committing suicide. In the manic phase of bipolar disorder the patients behavior is bizarre and sometimes obnoxious. Symptoms of this are the person being hyper and have lots of energy, they talk a lot, racing thoughts, and a decreased need for sleep. In this stage it is very hard to recognize. Both depressive and bipolar disorders run in families. Meaning if your father or mother had it you have a high chance of getting it yourself. Most people who are depressed are women. They may be biologically induced depression. Meaning that there is a lack of or too much of a chemical or protein. Or it may be that women learn social roles that favor feelings 2006-08-27T22:52:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Elements-of-Depression-31333.aspx Institutional Study of Marriage and the Family The Three Myths I chose to write on were Myth 2: The Self-Reliant Traditional Family, Myth 4: The Unstable African American Family, and Myth 5: The Idealized Nuclear Family of the 1950’s. The Myth of the self-reliant family leads people to assume that, in the past, families were held together by hard work, family loyalty, and a fierce determination not to be beholden to anyone, especially the state. It is popularly believed that such families never asked for handouts; rather, they stood on their own feet even in times of crisis. The families of yesteryear did not accept or expect “charity.” Authors debunk this myth by stating that U.S. families have always depended to some degree on other institutions. For example, colonial families made extensive use of the collective work of others, such as African American slaves and Native Americans, whose husbandry and collective land use provided for the abundant game, plants, and berries colonial families consumed to survive. African American families have been the subject of far more sweeping generalizations and myths. The most pervasive myth, the myth of the collapse of the African American family, is fueled by racist stereotypes and media exaggerations and distortions that overlook the diversity of African American family life. According to social historian Andrew Billingsley, three distinct classes are visible in the African American community: (1) a small upper class (approximately 10%) that stresses family and is politically conservative; (2) a middle class (approximately 40%) concerned with family, respectability, and individual and family achievement; and (3) a lower class (approximately 50%) made up of stable working-class families and both stable and multi-problem poor families. It is generally from the multi-problem poor families within the lower class that stereotypes and generalizations are made about all African American families. The authors state that to generalize these behaviors to the entire African American community, however, is inaccurate and misleading. Moreover, to attribute these behaviors, when they do occur, to a deteriorating, immoral family life-style and a lack of middle-class family values ignores historical, social, and political factors, such as a history of servitude, legal discrimination, enforced segregation and exclusion. The myth of the Idealized Nuclear Family of the 1950s leads people to see the family as a middle-class institution consisting of a wise father who worked outside the home; 2006-08-27T16:30:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Institutional-Study-of-Marriage-and-the-Family-31317.aspx Wife or Slave?: An Essay on Female Roles in Society “Do you woman, take this man, to become his concubine, to pamper and slave over, through sickness and in health, now and forever, till he decides to replace you…?” With vows as “tempting” as these being presented at the altar, surely females would jump at the chance to be married, right? Men, as well as women, have requests of their significant others, some requests are expected, others slightly selfish. An agreement is eventually reached, or tension mounts between the two. There are always small percentages of males that exhibit the characteristics of the common caveman…always wanting, but never giving. Ironically enough, there’s always that same percentage of women that accept the ways of the caveman…waiting, hand and foot, on the male with no hope of equality. Despite the thoughts displayed in Judy Brady’s “I Want a Wife,” the typical male isn’t searching for a mate to subjugate over. He is searching for someone to compromise with, to receive from and to give to equally. Brady, both a wife and a mother, hides behind her title as “feminist writer” to give her writings a somewhat harmless look about them. Unfortunately, her degradation of the opposite sex gives readers an unclouded view of her sexist attitude. To soften the blow against males she throws at her readers, she takes the liberty of taking on a male role. With this, she accomplishes her ulterior motives. First, she implicitly attacks males, not openly so that her readers won’t immediately tag her as the bad guy. This makes her accusations and insinuations seem like a harmless show of opinion. Second, she speaks from our point of view as a subtle way of mocking us. She makes us out to be little boys, helpless and overly demanding to women, even uneducated. “I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent on me” (Brady 274). Honestly, there are men that want their wives to do most of the work in the house, both his and hers; that can’t be denied. To say that males want their wives to pay for their schooling is ludicrous. As if a male being helpless dependants wasn’t enough, Brady also makes males out to be insensitive and uncaring to the feelings of their wives. Most males 2006-08-27T15:47:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Essay-on-Female-Roles-in-Society-31310.aspx Behavioral Development Theories of Freud and Skinner Why do we behave the way we do? How much does our environment play a role in shaping our personalities? Do we really suppress unwanted memories? These are all questions that everyone often wonders about. There are many experts that share and dispute the answers to these questions, but there are two in particular that have contributed greatly in finding explanations. Sigmund Freud’s ideas today are still strongly contested and cause plenty of controversy. Freud believes that people act out certain behaviors that originate from the unconscious mind. He took the unconscious to be an element of human life that was inaccessible and important as a source of thoughts and actions. He was committed to the concept that apparently meaningless behaviors actually expressed unconscious conflict. With that he developed techniques for determining what the behaviors might mean. Freud determined that dreams, “slips of the tongue”, and jokes were signs of concealed, conflicting desires. Most of these desires are aggressive or sexual in nature. His conclusion was that our society does not accept this behavior, so it is discouraged and those unruly desires are repressed. Our repressed desires, according to psychoanalysis, only appear to us disguised as dreams, symptoms, and other seemingly incoherent, uncontrolled actions. Freud thought it to be necessary to speculate the existence of an unconscious that interacts with conscious life. Freud’s concept of repression is “desires are repressed (bringing distress) because satisfying them would bring even greater distress. But the repressed desires remain active within us, seeking some expression or gratification, even as they are denied.” So the unconscious finds some outlet in even the most familiar aspects of our lives. Strong desires will always find some way of expressing themselves. The more Freud studied and supported his ideas, the more controversy arose. Most people did not want to accept that they had uncontrollable thoughts and desires. Many did not want to believe that we have an unconscious mind. How could the unconscious be measured? How could it be studied? How do we know these “repressed” memories are real? With those questions many experts wanted to persist with the things that could be measured, seen, and undoubtedly be correct. One of those psychologists was B.F Skinner. Skinner 2006-08-27T14:51:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Behavioral-Development-Theories-of-Freud-and-Skinner-31292.aspx Elements of the "American Dream" The American dream. It consists of a family, house, cars, and other luxury items. How did it become the American dream? Why do we feel so compelled to pursue it? The reason is because we, the American public, have been convinced through advertising to acquire it. It is a very powerful way of persuasion. Advertising affects us so powerfully that it sometimes sets our views of society for us. We constantly absorb images of families, houses, and cars through commercials and magazine ads. It persuades us so strongly to the point that it can alter our social consciousness. Alter it to the point that we feel that the American dream is no longer a luxury, it has become a necessity. Today there is almost no way to escape advertisements. The radio, television, and magazine ads make sure of that. The more we view these advertisements, the more we are persuaded toward the American dream. With a television in almost every household and magazines only an arm’s length away, advertisers basically have us on our knees. We must digest advertisers the views so frequently that you would think it was necessary to sustain life. Advertising’s main goal is to persuade. They want us to see the American way through their eyes. They tell us what to eat, drink, wear, drive, and think. Advertisers start this form of brainwashing on us at a very early age. They lay the groundwork of ideals early on because it is easy to persuade a child. Now, with the two-income family, children are left to interpret not only advertisements but television programming as well without supervision. Children are forced to make their own evaluations and most of the time they go along with the views of what they see. How many times do children want something because they saw it on television? With the unending viewing of shows and advertisements who could blame them. By age twenty, Americans have viewed an estimated half a million commercials. Now that is a major amount of influencing on a young person. This is exactly what advertisers hope to accomplish with young people. They want them to associate advertisements to purchasing. It starts out with toys and leads to the American dream. One day they want a matchbox car and a few years later they want a real Porsche. Do not all boys want a fancy car? Do not 2006-08-25T20:51:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Elements-of-the-American-Dream-31283.aspx Facing Distribution Problems in the Chinese Economy The purpose of this report is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different distribution methods available to Beijing Oasis and decide which method should be implemented. Based on the advantages and disadvantages of each distribution method, a recommendation will be offered as well as implementation of that decision. Statement of the Problem The most vital issue currently facing Gervais Lavoie is the decision of method of distribution. He has been given three alternatives with which to analyze. Poor distribution decisions in the past have caused businesses to fail dramatically, so he is imminently aware of the magnitude of this decision. What method of distribution should be implemented for Beijing Oasis High Nutrition Food Company Ltd. to distribute the company’s newly developed fruit nectar? This is a problem because, as stated before, the consequences of a poor distribution decision could prove fatal. Situation Through steps to open its markets to international exporters, and to comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) membership application requirements, global trade with China has changed significantly in recent years. “After a decade of reform, the economic situation in China has improved enormously. ” Opportunities are available to foreign companies to enter the Chinese fruit juice market, with tax and land incentives offered to lure foreign business to China's special economic zones, and tariffs lowered to invite imports . “The adaptive ability is shown in learning new concepts and rules developed in a market economy, which might involve changing assumptions and the way of thinking.” The fruit juice market in China is dynamic, with many opportunities for international competitors to enter the sector. In 1995, Canada held 1.6% of the $63.9 million imported fruit juice market in mainland China, but that share slipped to 1.0% in 1996, despite the fact that the value of the market increased to $69.4 million. Imports of fruit juice to Hong Kong decreased to $119.1 million in 1998 from a high of $186.7 million in 1997. Canada supplied 5.4% of Hong Kong juice imports in 1998, and could dramatically improve upon its share of China's total fruit juice market . “…There is a valid argument that emphasizes concentrating resources in enterprises that are less state-controlled on the grounds that they are more efficient. The Chinese experience according to some economists tends to support 2006-08-25T17:42:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Facing-Distribution-Problems-in-the-Chinese-Economy-31281.aspx Research Paper on Psychological Egoism Psychological Egoism is a descriptive theory about human motivation that we actually only ever look out for our own interests (Baillie). Therefore, human are selfish in every act they do; and there is no such thing as altruism, concern for others (Rachels 70). For example, an egoist will say that Mother Theresa is helping the poor because she wants to get the worlds attention or such. However is that what she really wants? Many people appreciate this theory due to its simplicity. However, I believe that in some ways Psychological Egoism is true, but not always. I believe that there are different conditions for each person and each condition will yield different conclusions. In this paper, I will argue that there are no good arguments for Psychological Egoism by criticizing some of the arguments in its favor. The first argument in favor of Psychological Egoism is “In all voluntary action you do what you want. When you do what you want your action is therefore selfish” (Baillie). So, if I want to play soccer but I chose to help my friend with his homework then, I am selfish because I did what I desired. In another way, all my acts will be selfish, no such thing as altruism. This argument has two weaknesses. First, not all our acts are results of what we want (Rachels 73). For example, taking an antibiotic to relieve the pain or even do a surgery. So, we achieved a pain-free although we did not want to do a surgery. Another example is being ordered from your parents to do something such as cleaning your room not to be grounded. Therefore, if the premises are false then the argument goes wrong. The other weakness, the conclusion would not follow from the premises. If I want other people to be happy then, that is not selfish even though I wanted that circumstance. On that account, being selfish depends on the nature of my act in knowing what it is that I want (Rachels 75). Therefore, this argument is wrong due to not following the premises. The second argument in favor of Psychological Egoism is “Allegedly unselfish actions make the agent feel good about themselves, or give the satisfaction, so this satisfaction was the real motive behind the action” (Baillie). For instance, a person feels good when doing voluntary work; or a person 2006-08-25T17:37:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Research-Paper-on-Psychological-Egoism-31280.aspx Crime Prevention and Psychology Crime is a serious issue that affects everyone in society. It affects the victims, perpetrators and their families. Crime has increased drastically within the last decade. More prisons are being built around the world because there is not enough room to hold inmates. The government has made an attempt to reduce crime by funding programs such as prevention and intervention for youth at risk , as well as rehabilitation for prisoners that will be released. Some argue that criminal behavior is due to environment, others believe that it is genetic, and yet others think that it has to do with personality. If there were certain personality traits that could be identified with potential criminal behavior, steps could be taken to try to reduce or diminish the “criminal personality”. Although personality is not the only factor in criminal behavior, there does seem to be a strong association between the both. Alfred Adler believed that children who failed to solve the vital problem of social interest-who lack cooperation and a desire for contributing to the well-being of others-will always meet significant problems later, during their adult years (Adler, 1998). This could include personality problems or criminal behavior. Personality develops early in life. That is why early childhood aggression and antisocial behavior should be taken seriously. Being able to identify potential criminal behavior is vital for prevention and intervention. Childhood factors shown to relate to the development of antisocial behaviors include a difficult early temperament, low IQ, academic deficiencies and learning problems, lack of empathy, underdeveloped social skills, and negative peer relations. (Sutton,Cowen, Crean, & Wyman, 1999). Environmental factors such as family structure and poverty are also associated with potential criminal behavior. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Report (1993) noted that one violent crime (e.g. aggravated assault, murder) was committed every 22 seconds in 1992, and 15% of those arrested for such crimes were under the age of 18 (Sutton, ete.al. 1999). Juvenile delinquency is becoming more common. The age at which these young kids are committing crimes is getting younger. The crimes they are committing are getting more serious. They are not only involved in vandalism and shop lifting like many people might assume, but they are involved in life threatening crimes such as assault and murder. According to the FBI, the number of arrests for youth 12 and younger, in 1996, was 250,000. For youth age 13 and 2006-08-25T17:28:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Crime-Prevention-and-Psychology-31275.aspx Medugorje Pilgrimage Medjugorje: it is an obscure mountain village in central Yugoslavia. Until 1981 very few had ever heard of this place, let alone been interested in visiting it - but on June 24th of that year at a most wonderful and exciting thing happened that has changed not only the lives of the local people but those of millions of people all over the world,. On this special day six children from the village off, parish of St James Dean, sought vision of a woman and child appear on a small mountain behind the village. They were Catholics and were immediately able to identify the vision as that of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The response to this first sighting has been phenomenal. The visitors from all over the world, regardless of race or religion, have responded to the message first revealed to these children, "it opened their hearts and reconciled with God." The children from that date, and saw the vision of what they referred to as a "gospel" (Blessed Mother) on a daily basis and the widespread very quickly struck the village and neighboring countryside. Visitors came in their droves, hoping to experience what these children and at that time Yugoslavia was under a Communist rule and were officially the non-believers have gone. They, as you can imagine, were absolutely furious at what was happening. People were put in prison, including the first pastor, father Jozo Zovko, because of their loyalty to the apparitions. The six young people were threatened and verbally and physically abused by the local police. The government did some terrible things to try to prevent the spread of this "nonsense" but to no avail.) the very beginning, those who go to medjugorje experience the power of God's love coming through the Blessed Virgin Mary - man can never, ever, a complete with God and expect to win. And they didn't this time! The six visionaries, we the only children, initially asked questions by relating to themselves, their lives and their families. On the second day they asked "why have you come here - what you want to." very plain wiles a "there are many devout believers here. I have come to convert and reconcile." The Blessed Mary is messages can therefore be summarized in five words: Conversion, Faith, prayer, penance, peace. 1) conversion: she is calling us to turn from sin and asking us to 2006-08-12T14:52:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Medugorje-Pilgrimage--31235.aspx Necessity of Compliments and their Influence on Relationships Everyday in American society, relationships end, leaving romantic partners pondering over where things may have gone wrong. Psychologists have been searching for many years as to what may cause of romantic feelings to fade away. Looking at studies time and again, I see that many psychologists try to go down the same roads with their hypothesis, and often prove a certain study to be more accurate, as opposed to learning what many seek to discover. I chose a study, which caught my attention during a class discussion on compliments. The class discussion kept hitting on points that compliments are a key in two people forming physical attraction for someone, and also a mentally stable connection between the two. It has been shown in studies, that the positive effects of a compliment are much stronger from a stranger, as opposed to a compliment from a friend. The reasoning for this is simple. If a complete stranger were to approach you and compliment you on how great you look, you are much more taken by surprise than if a friend were to do it “out of kindness.” You see, friends have already accepted you for who you are, so when they compliment you on something, it is nice to here, but does not really effect you in the way it use to when the two people had a relationship less entwined. The four qualities of interaction are all needed in order to keep a relationships stronghold intact. Whether it is frequency, Diversity, Duration, or Emotional impact, a relationship is very rarely able to work with the absence of any of the four. Well if this is true, than my question is, are compliments a key in keeping a relationship strong. Does the absence of complimenting in a relationship, causes an emotional and attractive decline in the relationship, although the four qualities of interaction are still constant? Frequency is the influence needed for a relationship to hold strong. Thousands of people each year take shots at long distance relationships, trusting the saying, “Absence makes the heart grow founder.” Sadly, almost 99% of the time these relationships will fail, for the reason that the couple does not have frequent time together as they would if they were geographically in the vicinity of each other. The point just mentioned can be summed up in the saying, “Out 2006-08-12T10:57:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Necessity-of-Compliments-and-Their-Influence-on-Relationship-31227.aspx Globalization In The New Century To say that globalization has not encountered its share of dilemmas would be to fool ourselves. Other than the persistent headache it has caused, all other aspects of this twenty-first century system have encountered road blocks that portend potential disasters on a larger scale. Still in its infancy, globalization has shown an unparalleled capability to reshape foreign economies and multinational business markets; the expansion of the Internet will only extend that influence, not only in economics but also in global politics. At this crossroad of changing policies and technologies, we must be prudent about globalization’s effect on foreign societies, identify the risks in expansion through the World Wide Web, and delineate between business and political partnerships. Now is the worst time to choose expediency over the ideals of fairness that we have long espoused. Superficially, the US’s endorsement of legitimate transnational trade agreements carries our message of fair and free trade, but we may be unintentionally overlooking the long term risks of global integration that depends on information technology (IT). Many nations do not have equal access to the Internet, putting them at a disadvantage in a system more reliant on IT. A microcosm of the emerging digital divide can be seen within our own borders, where the percentage of white people able to use computers greatly exceeds the percentage for African Americans. If such a disparity in the accessibility to IT were enlarged, as in the case of Africa versus its neighbors, many would fall into the widening digital abyss. After listening to Professor Vinod Aggarwal, Director of the APEC Study Center at UC Berkeley, talk at a recent Great Decisions session about the effects of globalization, I noticed that he had similar concerns about the possibility of people in lower socioeconomic levels being left further behind. This, however, does not mean we should grind globalization to a screeching halt. The expansion of IT has promoted the exchange of free ideas in countries with oppressive governments, including China, where behind rigid authoritarian barriers, the Internet is opening new conduits of free speech. Additionally, trade agreements are bringing the issue of human rights back on the table for discussion. I hope I can have a chance to hear more of what experts have to say about these challenges at this year’s conference. Expanding businesses online carries huge implications, and oftentimes, computer networks are enormous bubbles waiting to burst. 2006-08-12T10:45:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Globalization-In-The-New-Century-31223.aspx Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia, a disease of the brain, is one of the most disabling and emotionally devastating illnesses known to man. But because it has been misunderstood for so long, it has received relatively little attention and its victims have been undeservingly stigmatized. Schizophrenia is not a split personality, a rare and very different disorder. Like cancer and diabetes, schizophrenia has a biological basis; it is not caused by bad parenting or personal weakness. Schizophrenia is, in fact, a relatively common disease, with an estimated one percent to one and a half percent of the U.S. population being diagnosed with it over the course of their lives. While there is no known cure for schizophrenia, it is a very treatable disease. Most of those afflicted by schizophrenia respond to drug therapy, and many are able to lead productive and fulfilling lives. What are its symptoms? Schizophrenia is characterized by a constellation of distinctive and predictable symptoms. The symptoms that are most commonly associated with the disease are called positive symptoms, that denote the presence of grossly abnormal behavior. These include thought disorder, delusions, and hallucinations. Thought disorder is the diminished ability to think clearly and logically. Often it is manifested by disconnected and nonsensical language that renders the person with schizophrenia incapable of participating in conversation, contributing to his alienation from his family, friends, and society. Delusions are common among individuals with schizophrenia. An affected person may believe that he is being conspired against (called "paranoid delusion"). "Broadcasting" describes a type of delusion in which the individual with this illness believes that his thoughts can be heard by others. Hallucinations can be heard, seen, or even felt; most often they take the form of voices heard only by the afflicted person. Such voices may describe the person's actions, warn him of danger or tell him what to do. At times the individual may hear several voices carrying on a conversation. Less obvious than the "positive symptoms" but equally serious are the deficit or negative symptoms that represent the absence of normal behavior. These include flat or blunted affect (i.e. lack of emotional expression), apathy, and social withdrawal). Who gets it? While schizophrenia can affect anyone at any point in life, it is somewhat more common in those persons who are genetically predisposed to the disease. The first psychotic episode generally occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood. Genetic Link -- The probability of 2006-08-10T13:52:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Diagnosis-of-Schizophrenia--31213.aspx A Study of Civilization and Isolation Transformations in the way early humans developed their culture and society led to the marked distinctions that define their civilization. Intellectual, cultural and material developments are the driving factors behind the formation of the Mesopotamian civilization. Civilization in the West states that the Mesopotamians had survival in mind when they began forming a civilization ; however, I believe that they envisioned a greater existence in forming a civilization. The Minoan civilization was destined to remain isolated on the island of Crete. In contrast, the Mesopotamians' option of migrating anywhere in the Middle East proves conclusively that they sought a better life for themselves through the formation of a centralized civilization. Mesopotamia is considered the first civilization ever created and it was no accident that it formed. One could say that the people of Mesopotamia came together to fight the powers of Mother Nature. It was obvious that Mother Nature was not on their side, whether it be the thin soil in the north or the lack of rain in the south. Mesopotamians that once settled in scattered towns and villages came together to form small settlements and towns that they used to build irrigation systems. In centralizing their population, they benefited from the additional manpower that was necessary to carry on the irrigation systems that gave them a better day to day life. Organization of an agriculture system was one of the first signs that Mesopotamia formed a civilization. Incorporating other Mesopotamian towns into the control of the settled towns denoted expansion. Urbanization followed expansion, thus allowing people to congregate in one designated area. However, as a result of the pressure put on the cities' food supplies, inhabitants would pursue material development by stealing from surrounding neighbors. The benefit that the Mesopotamians reaped from forming a civilization was that they could seek protection within the walls of their settlement. In other words, they sought protection in numbers. Before forming civilizations, the people of Mesopotamia were not isolated as the inhabitants of Crete were. Hence, there had to be certain motivational factors other than isolation that brought the Mesopotamian people together. The small cities that were so important to protection also served other purposes. Arguably, the most important purpose is that they brought together the ideas of so many people into one congregated area, a feature that the island of Crete provided without migration to cities. 2006-08-09T13:29:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Study-of-Civilization-and-Isolation-31199.aspx Why Nations Trade Thesis: Why do nations trade? We will not attempt to argue for or against trade among nations, but rather analyze why a nation would want to trade at all. We will also discuss some of the laws and organizations that assist in international trade. One early form of economic policy was known as mercantilism and dominated during the 16th and 17th centuries. The premise of mercantilism was to increase the strength of the state and promote national unity. Gold and silver represented wealth. Countries not rich in gold and silver mines relied on exports through foreign trade with government control. Adam Smith, who developed the free trade theory, pointed out that governmental regulations on trade actually reduced the wealth of nations. It prevented the nations from benefiting from a competitive cost advantage on purchases. With free trade, each nation could increase its wealth by exporting the goods it produced most cheaply and importing goods that were produced cheaper elsewhere. His theory was that each nation could specialize in the production and exportation of the goods over which it had an absolute advantage. This is the classical trade theory. The modern trade theory is mainly concerned with the analysis of the basis for trade and with accounting for differences in comparative advantage. The 20th century economists noted that the difference in the prices of final goods tend to reflect - not the differences in the productivity of resources, and unequal distribution of technologies and labor among nations like was thought under the classic theory - but rather the differences in the prices and availability of productive resources. They reasoned that countries specialize in the production and exportation of goods requiring large amounts of resources that they naturally possess, and import goods requiring large amounts of resources that are scarce. Although most countries officially favor free trade, few countries have ever actually adopted a free trade policy. ****Discuss Free Trade****International trade policies and NAFTA *** Some countries export only to expand their domestic market or to aid the depressed areas within their economy. Other countries depend on trade for a large portion of their national income. But trade in an international economy is essential for growth. Since 1960, trade has grown fifteen-fold, world economic protection has quadrupled; and the world per capita income has more than doubled. Trade helps nations grow and allows families throughout the world to live better lives. 2006-08-09T12:18:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-Nations-Trade--31185.aspx Myths, Motivations & the Future of Non-Profits Recent trends appear to be supportive of a greater role for nonprofit organizations. Indeed, we see the continuing increase, expansion and strengthening of nonprofits in the decade ahead. However, their long-term financial viability will remain in question unless they undergo radical transformation in how they operate in today's new public and private economies. Eight trends in particular lead us to this conclusion: 1. Nonprofits are taking on more "public" responsibilities as governments continue to downsize and divest themselves of certain social welfare and community development functions. The watershed congressional elections of November 1994 signaled a significant shift in how government would do business in the future. Numerous programs which used to receive generous federal, state and local government support -- from education and social welfare to museums, libraries and public radio and television -- have experienced major cuts in their annual government-supported budgets. Nonprofits that depended on government grants for a large portion of their funding have had to find alternative private funding sources due to government cutbacks on grants. As a result, more and more of these organizations have had to both "reinvent" and "realign" themselves in order to survive and prosper. Much of this reinvention and realignment will take the form of new "partnerships" with corporations, citizen groups and other nonprofits. Successful nonprofits must conduct very aggressive public relations, fundraising and sponsorship campaigns, which will require the hiring of more talented personnel skilled in these organizational development and marketing functions. As governments continue to downsize and divest themselves of traditional social welfare functions, more and more nonprofit organizations, especially charities, will play an increasingly important role in providing welfare assistance. Functioning as new and expanded service delivery organizations, they will increase their professional staffs to provide such services as well as secure increased funding through government contracts and grants. In the international arena, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) will play a more important role in international development and relief efforts as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the UN undergo further budget cuts. 2. Funding activities continue to increase despite occasional recessions and scandals. Americans continue to support and use nonprofits at unprecedented levels, especially during boom economic times. They view nonprofits as more responsive and accountable than government bureaucracies. Since many nonprofits are community-based, they also seem to be more democratic and participatory than government. As the federal government continues to divest 2006-08-08T09:38:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Myths-Motivations-and-the-Future-of-Non-Profit-Organizations-31162.aspx Theories on Qualities of Leaders and Followers There appears to be a particular trend in research on leadership. Most of it subsumes vision within charisma. Some scholars even suggest that it is the vision that leads to the attribution of charisma to the leaders in the first place. However, we think that charisma and vision are two distinct concepts and as such a leader may be charismatic but not visionary, or visionary but not charismatic, both charismatic and visionary, or neither. To us, charisma is an emotion-based construct or a “heart” thing and charismatic leaders understand their social environment very well and are masters of social skills. Vision, on the other hand, is a competence-based construct, a combination of intellectual ability and experience, largely a “head” thing. In this paper, we distinguish between charisma and vision in detail and suggest that some of the confusion clouding the “new genre” of leadership theories becomes clear once we treat charisma and vision separately. LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP There is a particular trend in research on leadership; much of it subsumes vision within charisma (Weber, 1968; House, 1977; Bass, 1985; Bennis & Nanus, 1985; Conger & Kanungo, 1987; Avolio & Bass, 1988; House, Spangler & Woycke, 1991). One possible explanation for twining of the two concepts is that many well-known charismatic leaders had powerful visions. And, that is why charisma and vision exist together in our implicit theories on leadership. Some scholars (Weber, 1968; Conger, 1989) even suggest that it is vision that leads to the attribution of charisma to the leaders in the first place. Conger (1989:92) described charismatic leaders as “meaning makers” and noted that the amount of charisma attributed to a leader increases as the leader’s vision becomes more idealized in the minds of followers. In a review of charismatic leadership literature, “Connor et al. (1995:530) noted that vision is central to charisma and that “charisma involves the ability to provide a compelling vision”. Similarly, Graham (1991:105) observed that “an ideal leader is visionary, practical and inspirational ... charisma is a term frequently used to describe leaders who possess these ideal qualities.” Sashkin (1988) argued that a charismatic leader articulates a vision for the organization, and this vision, in turn, provides the framework for organisational strategies. Contrary to the views of the above authors, we believe that charisma and vision are two distinct concepts and as such a leader may be charismatic but not visionary, or 2006-08-08T09:37:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Theories-on-Qualities-of-Leaders-and-Followers-31161.aspx Freudian Views Relating to God In Freud’s theory described above conscious, preconscious, id, ego and defense mechanism all play a predominated role in the life of Rachel Cameron in, The Jest of God. Freud had concluded that a person is always aware of their conscious state. In regard to the Jest of God, the main character Rachel is always aware of her thoughts and feelings. Even though she does not express the thoughts and feelings outwardly in the verbal or non-verbal manner. Freud believed that memories could come through from the preconscious to the conscious state by reliving and thinking about past memories. The preconscious state is refereed to in the book when she is trying to resurface her thoughts about her father when she leaves and talks to the funeral director Hector. Rachel released her memories from her preconscious at that time. “While Hector is talking, my eyes are searching the room, and yet this is senseless. Nothing is as it use to be, and there is nothing left from than, nothing of him not a clue” (A Jest of God, pg. 129). Freud referred to the “ID” as the pleasure principle. An example of Rachel living out her id is when she is having sex with Nick and not using any protection regardless of the consequences that may occur. This occurs because Rachel can’t find a balance between her ID and her superego. As mentioned above the superego is refered to as “what society wants” and the ID is refered to the “pleasure principle” in the book she repeated had a sexual encounter with Nick even with the high risk of becoming pregnant. In the book Rachel’s main conflict is creating a balance between her ID and her superego. Rachel’s need to have pleasure in her life, as well as, continuing to up hold the highest of moral standards that her mother deems absolutely necessary. There are several defense mechanisms she uses to survive, the first one being rationalization. In rationalization the theory states that a person takes a “bad action” and justifies that action taken. An example of this is when Rachel hits James in the nose with the ruler for not letting her see his math work. Once his nose starts to bleed and she realizes what she has done, she than justifies her action because she feels that to do otherwise would be detrimental to her authority as the 2006-08-07T22:06:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Freudian-Views-Relating-to-God-31152.aspx Social Psychology Case Study: Aggressive Tendencies What made him abuse his newly wedded wife? Why did his son become an aggressive child? There is no way I would have expected this from such a considerate and loving person. Everything in their relationship seemed to be thriving. It may be possible that we never know someone until they are pushed to the point in which he or she are forced to act in response to a situation. I witnessed this happening and never could have predicted what transpired. My Aunt Natalie (not her real name) has always been an independent iron-willed woman. Natalie encountered a man named Ricky (not his real name) who was selfless, candid, and courteous. During their courtship Ricky was a perfect gentleman. They went out to drink at bars, attended social gatherings, and celebrated holidays with each other’s families. Within a year Natalie and Ricky fell in love and decided to get married. Shortly after the wedding Natalie became pregnant and gave birth to my cousin Justin (not his real name). Everything seemed blissful until Natalie was able to get back on her feet and involve herself in recreational activities once more. Ricky did not have a formal education. He crossed the threshold of America only one year before he married Natalie, so it became very challenging for him to find a job. Ricky desired that Natalie stay home and tend to the responsibility of raising her son, but Natalie disagreed with Ricky’s views. Natalie nurtured and cared for her child, but on occasion she would attend a local tavern or social gathering. Ricky eventually became fed up with what he felt was blatant neglect for his aspirations of having a similar household to those of his homeland, Peru. In Ricky’s family wives cater to the needs of their immediate family without much personal fulfillment. Unfortunately, one evening Ricky exploded into a mad rage because Natalie had plans to go out to a local tavern for a drink. Natalie said in response to Ricky’s antics, “Ricky, when we met you knew I like to go out and enjoy myself, so I do not care what you think. I will do what I want when I want to do it.” Ricky, a usually calm and composed man, felt he must demonstrate his assertiveness and proceeded to drag Natalie into the house by her hair while yelling in a vulgar fashion. Ricky, in 2006-08-07T17:45:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Case-Study-on-Aggressive-Tendencies-Social-Psychology-31145.aspx The Impact of NAFTA on American Business Interests The North American Free Trade Agreement (NFTA) is an import/export agreement between the governments of the United States of America, the United Mexican States and Canada designed to “remove most barriers to trade and investment” among nation [http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/policy/nafta/nafte.html, July, 2001]. The agreement was implemented on January 1, 1994 effectively eliminating all non-tariff barriers to agricultural trade between the USA and Mexico. The foundational objectives of NAFTA include creating an expanded and secure market for the goods and services of each nation, improving working conditions and living standards in each nation, creating new employment opportunities, and enhancing basic worker rights [http://www.the-tech.mit.edu/Bulletins/Nafta/00.preamble, January 1994]. After seven years of operating under the guidelines of NAFTA, there are mixed reports relative to its success within the United States economy and the American business environment. The United States government tends to praise the success of NAFTA while American working people typically believe “NAFTA has thus far largely failed” and in fact has had a negative impact on many businesses [http://www.epinet.org/briefingpapers/nafta01, April, 2001]. The United States Government’s Claim for Success According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), the markets created by the implementation of NAFTA have been “one of the brightest spots” for farmers, agricultural exporters and the industries that support them, claiming that more than 25% of all agriculture exports are purchased by NAFTA nations [http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/policy/nafta/nafta_backgrounder.htm, July, 2001]. Since the implementation of NAFTA, agricultural trade between the US and Mexico has increased by 55% accounting for more than 11.5 million dollars if business. The agricultural trade between Canada and the US also recorded increases of nearly 50% and more the 13 billion dollars of revenue. Opponents of NAFTA point to the increased US import activities as a serious downfall of NAFTA’s original promise of creating an expanded and secure market for the goods and services of each nations. The government argues that NAFTA merely an assures of a free market society which has always been a foundational element of capitalism and a pillar of American business success. The government also argues that many of the “expanded” US exports opportunities would have been lost without NAFTA. In addition, the government indicates that increased import competition should be expected and in fact will have a positive effect on the US economy. As trade barriers are eliminated, trading becomes subject to open 2006-08-07T17:43:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Impact-of-NAFTA-on-American-Business-Interests-31144.aspx Robbing American Taxpayers through Big Business For most Americans the term welfare is associated with any number of negative images: laziness, illegitimacy, family breakup, irresponsibility, and wasted tax dollars. We hear "welfare" and our minds conjure up a young unwed mother of two or three infants, huddled in front of a TV set in a public housing tenement and living at taxpayer expense on monthly Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) checks and food stamps. We react negatively because too often these checks subsidize bad behavior and encourage dependency rather than self-responsibility. The American Heritage dictionary defines welfare as "receiving regular assistance from the government or a private agency because of need." What is surprising about our modern-day welfare state is just who it is that Congress really believes to be "in need." Some of the most subsidized recipients of public assistance are not welfare queens housed in public tenement apartments. They are not even poor or ailing at all. Far from it. America's most costly welfare recipients today are Fortune 500 companies. In 1997 the Fortune 500 corporations recorded best-ever earnings of $325 billion, yet incredibly Uncle Sam doled out nearly $100 billion in taxpayer subsidies.1 These welfare payments come in every conceivable shape and size: government grants, sweetheart business deals arranged by the Commerce Department, cut-rate insurance, low-interest loans, a protective wall against foreign competition, exclusive government contracts, and a mind-boggling maze of special interest loopholes in the tax code. Table 1 lists the 1997 appropriations for fifty-five of the most unjustified federal business subsidy spending programs as compiled by the Cato Institute. Their combined price tag came to $38 billion in 1997. All but a small handful of America's wealthiest corporations have participated in the hunt for federal or state government subsidies. Most of these companies are double-, triple-, and quadruple-dipping. In 1996 General Electric won fifteen grants for $20.1 million. Rockwell International received thirty-nine grants for $25.4 million. Westinghouse Electric received fourteen grants for $26.1 million. Yet each of these companies had profits of at least half a billion dollars in 1996. Corporate welfare has all the systemic debilitating effects, including dependency and self-destructive behavior, that characterized the troubled legacy of the Great Society social welfare agencies. Just as the social welfare state became a pernicious, self-perpetuating industry inside Washington, so it is today with the corporate welfare state. For example, Representative Dick Armey has shown 2006-08-07T13:18:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Robbing-American-Taxpayers-through-Big-Business-31130.aspx Ideas on Child Labor Morality Most people take for granted that childhood should be a carefree time of life devoted to learning and play. Childhood is a time to play, to learn, to grow; a time when all children should have the chance to develop their potential an enjoy bright plans for their future. However, in India childhood is a lost dream for more than 50 million children. Children are forced to work long hours for a little or no compensation. The economic exploitation of child labor is an insult to humanity. All over the world children continue to work, putting at stake their education, their health, their mental 2006-08-07T13:15:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ideas-on-Child-Labor-Morality-31129.aspx Analysis of "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman Daniel Goleman's book Emotional Intelligence is phenomenal. Rich with insight and valuable information, it provides answers to some questions that have perplexed professionals and lay persons alike for some time: Why do some people achieve far beyond what we might expect of them based on their circumstances and innate abilities, and why do some children thrive in a modem environment that seems intent on preventing them from even surviving? The answer, Goleman says, lies in emotional intelligence. He writes, "My concern is with. . emotional intelligence, abilities such as being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations, to control impulses and delay gratification; to regulate one's moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize and to hope"(34). Emotional intelligence is further described as a "meta-ability," determining how well we can use whatever other skills we have, including raw intellect (36). The book goes on to explain that it is our ability to successfully manage our emotional lives, and therefore our relationships with others and our view of ourselves, that determines our success in life. Interestingly enough, the book doesn't t focus to any extent on communication per SE, but brings us just to the door of that issue on many occasions, almost as if it is a foregone conclusion that the ability to communicate about one's emotional state, and read others effectively is critical to achieving emotional intelligence. In all of the book 's many pages about empathy, for example, very little air time is given to the fact that one needs to first establish a personal empathetic state by observing and interpreting another's distress, and then communicate that response to the distressed person. However, a specific nod is given to effective communication in the chapter, "The Roots of Empathy." In both the statement, "Just as the mode of the rational mind is words, the mode of the emotions is nonverbal" (97), and later focus on the concept that empathy is of little value if it cannot be successfully expressed, the importance of effective communication is stressed. In a similar fashion, in the first few pages of the book, the concept of impulse control is defined, in terms of emotional intelligence, as knowing what to say and do and when to say and do it, but again the issue of effective communication is not addressed in so many 2006-08-07T13:13:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Emotional-Intelligence-by-Daniel-Goleman-31128.aspx A Study Of Psychopathic Behavior It is a popular belief that psychopaths are considered to be individuals that are as brilliantly charming as they are morally insane. However, the tendency to refer to the psychopathic behavior as “morally insane” is a misconception. Regardless of scientific discoveries , psychopathy is a disease which results in a physiological deficiency. The brain of psychopaths fails to generate a proper wave activity. Waves emitted are generally slower in individuals suffering from psychopathic behavior. This fundamental ineptitude is responsible for a lower degree of arousal when these persons face a threatening situation. Their lack of anxiety and consequent careless behavior in any situation is commonly referred to as lack of conscience. Indeed, Descartes’ “cogito ergo sum”, meaning “I am a fully conscious human being” is not applicable to their psyche. These individuals lack the plethora of emotions which colors our lives; that is, the ability to feel, to anticipate the breaking of the law, or to feel sorry when they break these laws. However, to say that psychopaths are morally insane is wrong. Above all, they are deprived of a conscience which organizes the moral notions of Good and Bad .This public misconception of psychopaths as morally insane goes back to the 19 century. In 1835, the British scientist Prichard introduced the term of “moral insanity” as referring to psychopathy. A French searcher, Phillipe Pinel, conceived the concept of “manie sans délire”. In French ,“manie” connotes a perverted mind which reproduces the same destructive action without any remorse .In a normal behavior, the deeds are constrained by external laws at work in society. The conscience of average individuals anticipate any destructive action which could obstruct the laws. Unfortunately, psychopaths don’t have such a capacity. They are leading a life which ignores external impediments. This fundamental unawareness is directly related to a slower activity of waves at work in the brain. This abnormality blocks the entire process of learning. The lower waves indeed produce a decreased response of anxiety which causes the psychopaths to not be anxious or afraid of punishment when they perform a reprehensible action. According to Cleckley’ s definition of psychopathic behavior in the Mask of Sanity , (1988) when one of them breaks the law, he or she does not experience a sense of shame or guilt. 2006-08-07T12:23:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Study-Of-Psychopathic-Behavior-31124.aspx Which Works Better - Regulation Or Supervision? The globalization of financial markets, the dramatic increase in trade and capital flows in the world has deepened economic and financial integration among all countries, and it creates a more complex financial environment, with a greater diversity of capital flows, creditors and borrowers. This process of globalization creates new opportunities but also challenges the international community, especially with regard to the international monetary and financial system. Comprehensive and effective financial regulation, market-reinforced prudential supervision and enhanced international cooperation among regulators are among the keystones for maintaining stability of the international financial and monetary system. Financial regulation has traditionally proceeded through the route of setting standards and of externally imposing rules. Setting standards, however, is only the first step in accomplishing effective regulation. The hardest part is designing a structure of incentives and sanctions that will induce financial intermediaries to live up to agreed standards of behavior. Regulation that is too tough can stifle innovation, and overprotection can lead to the loss of management accountability. Therefore, regulation should primarily make the market work. Importantly, an empirical relationship is established confirming that overall financial legal scope and effectiveness do have significant explanatory power for the size of financial markets. Again, economic considerations play a great role in the new regulatory framework. Explicit cost-benefit analysis leads towards evidence-based policymaking. The persistence and strengthening of competition in a functioning market is essential. Financial safety nets are generally supported by prudential regulations that require banks to hold enough capital to absorb losses and by reporting and accounting standards and best business practices that ensure that losses are reflected in profit and loss statements. Although this approach has worked reasonably well in limiting systemic damage from financial excesses, it may lead to conflicts between the objectives of regulators, who, by providing insurance, want to reduce systemic risks, and those of the regulated institutions, which have incentives to take greater risks within internal and regulatory capital constraints. There are dangers both in excessively restrictive regulations, which may inhibit efficiency-enhancing risk taking, and in lax enforcement, which might encourage financial institutions to take risks that would not be worth taking in a different environment. There is no definitive solution to this problem, and it is neither possible nor desirable for financial supervisors and regulators to know as much about a financial institution and its risk-taking activities as its own management. Nevertheless, they must 2006-08-07T08:19:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anaylsis-on-Regulation-Vs-Supervision-31108.aspx Socio-Economic Change After World War I Many social, political and economic problems plagued the world at the end of World War I, leading people to search for alternative solutions. Coincidently as the war ended, Fascism was introduced to the masses. Fascism was everything the people looked for and wanted. It placed an emphasis on the nation as the “center and regulator for all history and life, and on the indisputable authority of the leader behind whom the people were expected to form an unbreakable unity.” (Britannica.com, 2.10.01) Before delving into the complication known as Fascism, we must look at the events that led up to its outbreak and instant popularity. Edmund Burke once stated, “Social change is inevitable and desirable.” He was never more correct in his evaluation. At the start of the Twentieth Century, massive changes began to occur around the world. People were not satisfied with the stagnant nature of their lives, and change began to occur. What was initially a world consisting of Imperials and Empires slowly began to break up and fall apart. The Industrial Revolution brought about so much change that it became impossible to slow it down and prevent the inevitable. Inanimate objects began to take the place of human power, new products replaced old products in terms of production, and rapid development of cities led to urbanization. New class systems developed, leading to tension between people. The Bourgeoisie began to prosper as the employer while the Proletariat earned low wages as employees who were forced to move into the cities to earn a living as agriculture and farming no longer yielded the income it had once before. As urbanization increased, so did the population and the dissension among the people. Factory work became more prominent as the industrial revolution continued as with the newfound resources of iron and steel that led to new inventions such as the steam engine and the need for railroads and ships. The more these opportunities arose, the closer the empires came to collapsing. Ancient Empires could not compete with the new Western empires that began to emerge in the late nineteenth century. The new empires were technologically advanced with stable economies and manufacturing systems as a result of the Industrial Revolution. In accordance to the Industrial Revolution, new transportation 2006-08-07T08:11:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Socio-Economic-Change-After-World-War-I-31104.aspx Socio-Economic Change After World War I Many social, political and economic problems plagued the world at the end of World War I, leading people to search for alternative solutions. Coincidentally as the war ended, Fascism was introduced to the masses. Fascism was everything the people looked for and wanted. It placed an emphasis on the nation as the “center and regulator for all history and life, and on the indisputable authority of the leader behind whom the people were expected to form an unbreakable unity.” (Britannica.com, 2.10.01) Before delving into the complication known as Fascism, we must look at the events that led up to its outbreak and instant popularity. Edmund Burke once stated, “Social change is inevitable and desirable.” He was never more correct in his evaluation. At the start of the Twentieth Century, massive changes began to occur around the world. People were not satisfied with the stagnant nature of their lives, and change began to occur. What was initially a world consisting of Imperials and Empires slowly began to break up and fall apart. The Industrial Revolution brought about so much change that it became impossible to slow it down and prevent the inevitable. Inanimate objects began to take the place of human power, new products replaced old products in terms of production, and rapid development of cities led to urbanization. New class systems developed, leading to tension between people. The Bourgeoisie began to prosper as the employer while the Proletariat earned low wages as employees who were forced to move into the cities to earn a living as agriculture and farming no longer yielded the income it had once before. As urbanization increased, so did the population and the dissension among the people. Factory work became more prominent as the industrial revolution continued as with the newfound resources of iron and steel that led to new inventions such as the steam engine and the need for railroads and ships. The more these opportunities arose, the closer the empires came to collapsing. Ancient Empires could not compete with the new Western empires that began to emerge in the late nineteenth century. The new empires were technologically advanced with stable economies and manufacturing systems as a result of the Industrial Revolution. In accordance to the Industrial Revolution, new transportation 2006-08-07T08:10:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Socio-Economic-Change-After-World-War-I-31103.aspx Modern Imperialism The U.S. control of Central America has meant the exclusion from these markets of Japanese goods. As well as supplying cheap labour to the U.S. bosses the Central American countries rely on the U.S. for almost all of their exports and imports. In the U.S. itself the Japanese are allowed access to no more than 33% of the car market. A consensus has been created throughout U.S. society which identifies the Japanese as the cause behind the U.S. recession. This has included some of America's unions and liberal Democrats like Jessie Jackson. One consequence has been a rising number of physical attacks on Asians in general. The economic war between the U.S. and Japan has already warmed up. For American bosses it means bigger profits as they convince American workers that it is the Japanese rather then capitalism that are responsible for unemployment. Alliances between bosses and workers against another country mean little or no effective class struggle at home. This in turn means low wage rises and crap working conditions. The U.S. is one of the few countries where workers saw a real reduction in wages in the 1980's. It is this sort of prejudice that European bosses hope to build on through the E.C. Most European countries have already seen it on a national level. In Ireland a milder version is currently being pushed through the Buy Irish ad's. Our interests as workers lie with the workers of other countries, not our gombeen green bosses. The effects of imperialism on different countries varies, for many of the underdeveloped countries it means that their exports are permanently underpriced and their imports overpriced as they have no control over access to international markets. It means an enormous burden of dept to the imperialist countries in return for outdated or inappropriate technology and military equipment. It means a government whose sole role is to ensure the country stays profitable for the imperialists with low wages, tame or non-existant unions and few safety laws. It commonly means famine and death as proxy wars are fought between imperialist powers there. IMPERIALISM KILLS Imperialism's casualties in the last decade have included 100,000 Iraqi's, more as a show of force then anything else, 3 million Ethiopians in a country which exported food throughout the famine, 50,000 Nicaraguans in an effort to topple a government less disposed to American interests. Were it not for the death 2006-08-07T07:58:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modern-Imperialism--31095.aspx Economic Implications of Arctic Oil Drilling For more than a decade, debate over drilling for oil on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [ANWR] has continued unabated." This is the opening line of the introduction to the commonly encountered ethical paradox of economic interests versus moral interests. This paradox is steadfastly centered through the debate of oil drilling on the Coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The debate is considered and argued by diverse and infinitely intertwined societal organizations. The foremost of these organizations include the United States Federal Government, the government of the state of Alaska, various environmental groups, and the native populations of the region. Each of these groups have deep seeded motivations and internalized philosophies underlying specific positional tendencies, influences, and arguments. In considering this especially pervasive debate, it is these individual and group nuances that are most beneficial and revealing in philosophical exploration necessary for obtaining an informed, profound argument for a conclusive and convincing position within this continuingly discussion. In considering the motivational philosophies of what can be considered the foremost groups or individuals involved in the discussion, it is useful to separate the arguments into two somewhat obvious partitions: those in support of oil drilling, and those against it. The chief argument in support of the drilling for oil seems to be promise of economic prosperity in the form of reduced foreign dependency, a significantly boosted United States Gross National Product, greatly improved nationwide employment, and widespread individual economic betterment in exchange for little negative environmental implication. The chief counter argument also seems to be in favor of similar economic prosperity. However, this counter argument recommends much more environmentally concerned means to obtain the same economic goals in the form of suggestions towards improving fuel efficiency and pursuing other economically profitable means of reducing the overall need for such environmentally harmful activities in the first place. The statistics in support and against both sides of this debate can be quite overwhelming if one chooses to consolidate, compare, and contrast the numbers in order to determine some sort of conclusion. Those in support of the oil drilling can tell you all about the possible number of oil barrels with potential for recovery. Furthermore, these supporters can relate those numbers to personal financial numbers, regional financial numbers, national financial numbers, and exponential 2006-08-06T20:57:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Implications-of-Arctic-Oil-Drilling-31081.aspx Race, Religion And Ethnic Origin The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination identifies discrimination on the grounds of race, colour and ethnic origin as an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations among people, cooperation between nations, and international peace and security. The Convention has been ratified by a majority of the United Nations' member states. Yet, as the world enters a new century, the problems of racial and ethnic discrimination persist. As evidenced by events on several continents, we are a long way from seeing an end to ethnic conflict. In Canada, open hostility between groups or communities is rare. Problems of this nature do arise, but judging by the complaints the Commission receives, racial discrimination in this country is most frequently encountered in the form of systemic barriers to employment, or in situations involving individual workers or service users. When such discrimination does occur, it is often subtle, and consequently more difficult to address. Visible Minorities in the Public Service In 1997, the Commission published a study entitled Visible Minorities and the Public Service of Canada. The report noted that the federal government's record in hiring and retaining members of visible minority groups was inferior to that of the private sector. The report also suggested that visible minority employees often viewed the public service as unresponsive and hostile. There was a general feeling that some aspects of the staffing system acted as barriers to the hiring and promotion of visible minority candidates. In April 1999, the President of the Treasury Board set up the Task Force on the Participation of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service. Lewis Perinbam, who chairs the Task Force, is a former Vice President of the Canadian International Development Agency whose career has included work with the World Bank and UNESCO. The Task Force is made up of former public service employees and representatives from the private sector, academia, and visible minority organizations. It has indicated that it will consult widely, and develop an action plan aimed at improving the participation of visible minorities in the public service. The Commission views the establishment of the Task Force as a positive step, and looks forward to the publication of its report and to the government's subsequent response. The need for action to address barriers in the public service has been reinforced by the results of the Public Service Employee Survey, which were published in November 1999. 2006-08-06T20:29:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Race-Religion-and-Ethnic-Origin-31072.aspx Reasons we Act the Ways we Do: Pyschology “Teenagers not only process emotions more intensely and more indiscriminately than adults, but also appear to use their brains differently to handle what they are told,” says Robert Lee Hotz, in his article Scans Show Teenage Brains Work. But is this an excuse to why males, from ages sixteen to thirty-two are getting into more trouble than any other age group? Many people believe that psychology proves this quotation to be true. I was born into my family just nineteen years ago. Although the number does not exceed great heights, the world is forever changing and throughout those years a lot has happened. There have been several efforts made to end racism, injustice and inequality. The population of those living without food and money have decreased because of the hundreds and thousands of people willing to help. So many I could fathom beginning to name them all. For me, I was never really taught to do whatever it takes to make a difference. Recycling was about the only thing I was taught to do in order to better the world. While my family and every day encounters are filled with laughter and love, the encouragement to think of the world as equal was never really there. My parents, my father mainly, were raised in households where they were taught to take care of themselves before anyone else. This way of life was of course passed down to me. Yet, this does not mean that I have to adapt to this way of life as well. Ever since I was little, I have tried to disown the teachings of my parents, and tell myself that everyone is equal and that there is no one in the world who is any more reckless or violent than anyone else. Therefore, behavior genetics is one of the perspectives that gives me a chance to change my way of thinking to be different from that of my parents. I was surprised by the statistics because I had never thought about young American males acting any different than any other age group, in fact, I had never really thought of any one group of people acting differently than another. Because of my naïve attitude towards life, I have always thought of things as equal between males and 2006-08-06T10:05:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reasons-We-Act-the-Ways-We-Do-Pyschology-31066.aspx Nafta's Affect On Canadian Economy The purpose of this paper is to explore why NAFTA makes it easier than ever before for the U.S government and large American corporations to exploit the Canadian economy, its citizens, and its natural resources. This is the case even though the economic situation in Canada is presently more robust than the U.S economy. The U.S is using up Canada’s natural resources and Canadians must let the government know how most of the population feels. NAFTA, which was implemented Jan 1, 1994, has become more of a burden to the Canadian economy and citizens than previously thought. Clearly, from the statistics described further on in this paper, many Canadians are experiencing negative emotions towards the so-called “free trade” agreement, which is ending rules to protect the public and our natural resources. This is a realistic, yet tragic example of the accumulation of profits of international corporations at the expense of the lives and livelihood of Canadian citizens. Deregulation means ending the rules that protect Canadian society from U.S economic domination. The NAFTA agreements are the cause of these deregulations and the loss of economic and environmental protections. Propriety of the environment has been a major part of Canadian social ethic for the past decade. For those who think it is possible to still protect the environment under NAFTA, ask the farmers or the logging industry who are having difficulty making ends meet. Canada has environmental agreements under NAFTA, which are of no benefit to farmers, particularly, within Saskatchewan, where upwards of 60% total exports to the U.S involve wheat. The U.S industry seems to be so absorbed in the “bottom line” and attraction to large investors, that they don’t care about the producers behind their profits. All NAFTA does is allow the U.S to attain Canadian goods at a very cheap price and then set tariffs on our softwood lumber and wholesale grain prices. The motivation appears to be one of greed. The United States government, operating under the Bush Administration, appears to give no thought to enhancing its relationship with Canada and statistics show that Canadians are not happy about it. In March 2001, the Canadian government contracted EKOS Research Associates Inc. to elicit responses from Canadians. Some of the results EKOS from these responses were rather alarming. EKOS interviewed 1200 Canadians and asked them some important questions regarding our economy. When asked if Canadians felt their 2006-08-05T18:02:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nafta-s-Affect-On-Canadian-Economy-31053.aspx Aggression in Human Beings Aggression is something that all animals have. There are many different levels of aggression and people, as well as other animals, act on their feelings of aggression in many different ways. Aggression comes in many forms including physical violence, sexual abuse, yelling and mental abuse. There are many factors that contribute to the amount of aggressiveness that people have and the ways that they act on them. Males generally have more aggression than women and act out with aggressive behaviors more often. Aggression and anger can be controlled and treated in several different ways. Aggression can not be completely destroyed, as it is a basic animal instinct. Everyone human on earth has aggression already in his or her biology. Some people have more than others do and some act on theirs more, but everyone has it. Studies have shown that males generally tend to have more aggression than woman. This has been shown through studies done about the link between testosterone and aggressive behavior. In a study done of 4,462 men showed that higher testosterone levels showed increases in delinquency in adolescence and substance abuse. It also showed that as children they often had trouble with teachers and later in life had more sexual partners and used hard drugs. The study also revealed that among inmates the ones with higher testosterone levels committed violent crimes, more likely to be rejected for release by the parole board, and had more prison rule violations(Dabbs Jr., 1995). There are two other biological factors that may play a role in the prevalence of aggressive behavior. One of these is a brain chemical called seratonin. Seratonin sometimes acts as a behavioral inhibitor. People that have a lower level of seratonin often show increased levels of impulsivity and aggressiveness. They are not as self conscious about their behaviors so they act on pure instinct more than others. Two other chemicals in the brain, dopamine and norepinephrine, are also believed to contribute to aggressive behavior (Retzinger, 1991). Another cause of aggressive behavior is believed to come in early childhood. If a child is abused or sees abuse occur, they are more likely to be abusive in their adulthood. Not only does it cause the child to become abusive later in life, abuse has an adverse affect on them immediately. They are often very fearful, have nightmares, feel powerless, have poor school performance, are more 2006-08-05T11:20:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aggression-in-Human-Beings--31031.aspx Psychoanalytical Approach Case Study: Steven V. Steven V. has been psychologically treated chronically since kindergarten. He had been previously diagnosed with schizoid personality, paranoid schizophrenia and manic depressive psychosis. All of his of his psychological treatment had been suggested by his parents due to his very intense childhood. Steven V. was the only child of a very wealthy couple. His father was a business man who was rarely home and did not seek the time to form a relationship with his son. The one emotion Steven did receive from his father was disappointment because his father felt he lacked the toughness to be successful in the world and was too timid. His mother Mrs. V. also spent little time with her son, but she did manage to show him a little more affection and love then his father did. Steven opened up to his mother more. She portrayed her love for him through hugging and kissing and even letting him sleep in her bed with her while Mr. V. was away on business, but this all ended when Steven was twelve. His mother awoke very alarmed to find her son masturbating next to her. Although this was a very natural act she forbid Steven to sleep with her from now on. Steven was raised mostly by a full time maid. Being alone most of the time, due to lack of parental and peer interaction, Steven kept busy by using his imagination. When he was younger he imagined himself as super heros and acted them out in extremely violent ways. As Steven grew older he became strongly interested in pornography. He would become intensely aroused by watching woman who were sexually violated. This lead to his interest in violent horror movies, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in which he frequently imagined his parents as the victims. When Steven was twenty one he began dating 2006-08-05T11:04:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychoanalytical-Approach-Case-Study-with-Steven-V_-31022.aspx Importance of Cultural Integration in Society Cultural Integration is when material and non-material culture become interrelated. Material culture includes aspects like technology of a society. Non-material culture includes things like norms and values of a society. In cultural integration, both material and non-material culture impact each other. For example, some culture’s religion influence what individuals wear in that particular society. In some middle-eastern religions, women are required to wear veils over their face at all times. Veils would be an example of material culture, while religion is a form of non-material culture. Cultural Integration is important because it maintains a unity and a certain balance in a particular society. Also, cultural integration helps keep a society together, so all can share the same beliefs and values in a social system. Therefore, it helps to reduce conflict in a society where cultural integration is present. If all parts of a society are linked together, it becomes more homogeneous, which affects the amount of conflict present. Functionalist thought is a general consensus that socialization helps integrate people of a society. Everyone in that particular society follows the rules of that culture. These rules can be described as an invisible agreement, which is put forth by the culture in which the society follows or practices. Functionalism believes that cultural integration has a special purpose in a society. Its purpose is to join people of a society into a common bond. It draws the people into a similar way of thinking. Functionalist thought believes that cultural integration is directly responsible for the amount of deviance in a society. If people are culturally integrated and share the same beliefs and values, then the amount of deviance must be low, compared to a society that is not integrated. In conclusion, functionalism maintains a special purpose for cultural integration in a society. That purpose is to keep the people of that society on the same page, and therefore the society will be held together in a common bond. Conflict theory basically states that socialization helps maintain a certain inequality in society. Every society contains groups inside, and each group has their own culture in order to cater to their particular interests. According to conflict theory, a dominant group will reign over all the other groups 2006-08-05T10:39:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Importance-of-Cultural-Integration-in-Society-31019.aspx Passive Aggressive Personality Disorder (PAPD) Individuals with PAPD view themselves as self-sufficient but feel vulnerable to control 2006-08-05T10:31:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Passive-Aggressive-Personality-Disorder-PAPD-31015.aspx Comparing Mexico to the United States As we sit in the comfort of our homes knowing where our next meal will come from, we watch on the our televisions, news of a country in Africa that is poverty stricken or a country in Asia where a person cant get a job. We watch this not being able to imagine how things can be so bad just half a world away, but we don’t have to go that far to see this. Mexico our neighboring country to the United States faces all of these realities every day. Are there not enough jobs in Mexico for people to make money? Or are the people of Mexico lazy and rather starve than go to work? Is Mexico poor of natural resources? Or can it be that the politics in Mexico is what is holding the people down and not allowing them to live in the same wealth as the United States? In my youth I lived in Mexico and for a fact I know that my people are not lazy. Mexico is the number one producer of silver in the Americas so the land is rich of natural resources. There are also many jobs for people its just that the jobs they have do not pay enough for the people to have a good standard of living by American standards. So it is evident that the poverty that has stricken the people of Mexico face today can be blamed on the government that they have. The population in Mexico is nearly a third of that in the United States and yet our gross domestic product (GDP) is over eight times that of Mexico’s. The United States (GDP) is thirty three thousand nine hundred, while Mexico’s is at four thousand one hundred. I could sit here for hours and write numbers that would blow you away when you see the comparison of living between these two neighboring countries but instead I will show you how Mexican politics compare with the politics of the United States and the result of the quality of living fro the peoples of these two governments. Mexico’s government is a federal republic just as the United States. Mexico has two major parties in its government they are the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) which means Institutional Revolutionary Party. The other party is, Partido de Accion Nacional (PAN) (party 2006-08-01T19:50:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-Mexico-to-the-United-States-30973.aspx Importance of Social Behavior in Modern Society Many social challenges exist in today’s society. As the world changes, one must learn to adapt with it. Innovative techniques and technologies make certain processes easier to perform such as typing. However, people make the world go around; not objects such as money. Relationships must co-exist between various groups in order for each to succeed rather than fall into a deep spiral of nonentity. People within a society must interact with one another. Peter F. Drucker documents the process of the revolution of today’s society in his essay entitled, “The Age of Social Transformation”. Here, Drucker describes the three sectors in society; public, private, and social. The social sector shortens the distance in communication that exists between the government and the general public. Having a line of symmetry between the two parties allows each to regulate one another. Through personal experience, Stephen Hall discusses how the pharmaceutical industry profits from the illness and suffering of others in his controversial essay properly entitled, “Prescription for Profit”. Is financial gain more important than the sake and well being of humankind? To many businesses, money makes the world go around. The private sector is similar to a green-eyed monster. Money is the main objective, and everything else is irrelevant. David Abram reveals how society perceives the natural world in his essay entitled “Ecology of Magic”. In many societies, everything other than human beings is taken for granted. Here, both “The human community and the larger community of beings” (4) are treated with the same respect. Drucker’s terminology allows the reader to see a contradiction in the societies colored by Hall and Abram. Many social challenges linger within today’s society. Such challenges include practices such as abortion. Many believe that an abortion is a form of murder because it destroys an unborn fetus while others believe that the fetus is not a living creature until it is born. Regardless of whether abortion is morally incorrect, doctors will proceed with the procedure anyway. Therefore a question is raised. Who takes care of these social challenges faced by society on a daily basis? The social sector takes on this difficult task with a full head of steam. According to Drucker, “Social-sector organizations aim at 2006-08-01T10:26:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Importance-of-Social-Behavior-in-Modern-Society-30934.aspx Helping People with Mental Illness The Fellowship works closely with both state and national media bodies to ensure that schizophrenia and other mental illnesses are discussed openly and honestly so that the direct effects of stigma can be reduced and to promote early intervention and prevention. What is stigma? Stigma means a mark or sign of shame, disgrace or disapproval, of being shunned or rejected by others. The stigma surrounding schizophrenia is strong in our community, so strong in fact, that people with schizophrenia find themselves discriminated against at almost every turn, from finding employment or accommodation to simply making friends. It is important to recognise that stigma affects not only those with schizophrenia, but their families as well. What are the consequences of stigma? Stigma may be one of the most serious and oppressing factors confronting the person with schizophrenia. Its impact can be devastating. Feelings of isolation and depression are a common result of stigmatisation, with suicide becoming an option for some. The negative effects of stigma include: -Discouragement, hurt and anger -Lowered self-esteem -Disrupted relationships -Negative labelling (even in the absence of unusual behaviour individuals are shunned) -Decreased chance of employment; Possible contribution to relapse What can be done to reduce stigma? Education: Educating the community on mental illness both at school and in wider community settings is an effective way of increasing awareness and changing negative attitudes. It is important for people to learn to think about mental illness in the same way they think about other illnesses or conditions. Talking Openly: Talking openly about mental illness is important. It is surprising how many people are affected by mental illness, or have a family member or friend who is, and are too afraid of rejection to discuss it openly. The problem should not be swept under the carpet. Quality Support and Treatment: For people with schizophrenia to participate fully in all areas of community life, it is important to provide high quality support and treatment services. Advocacy groups should be proactive in their fight against the stigma surrounding mental illness, both for people with schizophrenia and their families. Consumer Role: It is important for people with schizophrenia to play an active role in challenging stigma. Promoting consumers as positive role models (both for other consumers as well as the general public) may be an effective method of reducing stigma. It is also 2006-08-01T10:13:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Helping-People-with-Mental-Illness-30930.aspx Inflation And the Australian Economy Inflation is one of the most important features of the Australian Economy. It is basically the measure of how much prices rise each year. The most common and widely acceptable unit for measuring inflation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI). During 2000-2002, there have been many factors contributing to inflation, especially in the March Quarter of 2002. Generally in most cases, governments try to maintain low inflation levels to stabilise the economy. Inflation is the loss in purchasing power of a currency unit such as the dollar, usually expressed as a general rise in the prices of goods and services. A classic example is the Great Inflation of the Roman Empire. Successive emperors replaced a steadily increasing fraction of the silver in their ancient currency, the denarius, with base metals like bronze or copper. As a result prices rose inexorably despite repeated attempts to restrain them through legislation. Diocletian, rather than taking responsibility for the debasement, attributed the rapid inflation of his day to the avarice of his subjects. His famous edict of AD 301 threatened with death any vendor who charged prices exceeding official limits. But inflation ran along unhindered for another century until an alternative currency, an undepreciated gold coin known to Shakespeare as the bezant, became the customary unit of account, spreading throughout Europe and lasting well into the Middle Ages. We have many measures of inflation, but none provides a truly reliable gauge of inflation at any specific time. The most widely watched measure is the consumer price index (CPI). Sub indexes are available for different cities and for many different classes of goods and services. One problem with the CPI is that the weight attached to each class of goods and services is held constant for years at a time. Therefore, when consumers lower their cost of living by buying more items whose relative price has fallen and fewer items whose relative price has risen, the CPI will not show a decline in the cost of living. Moreover, the difficult problem of allowing for changing quality has never been solved. Nor can the government inspectors who collect the data from retailers track down all the sales and discounts of which consumers are so keenly aware. As a result of these and other factors, the consumer price index reflects inflation trends only with a long delay and portrays an 2006-08-01T09:29:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Inflation-And-the-Australian-Economy-30914.aspx The "Glass Ceiling" in Modern Day Employment "On March 24, 1986, the Wall Street Journal coined a phrase that has come to symbolize a variety of barriers faced by thousands of women and minorities as they seek to improve their employment status..." This phrase is "glass ceiling." It has come to represent a variety of biases that prevent qualified minorities and women from advancing in the work-place particularly into mid-and senior-level management positions. We will look at some statistics on places where the glass ceiling has reared its head and also see what things as far as awareness and prevention have been done to stop this from occurring in the workforce. The U.S. Congress acknowledged the glass ceiling issue by enacting the Glass Ceiling Act on November 21, 1991. This act encourages employers to remove barriers to the advancement of women and minorities. It includes a mandate that focuses on studying how businesses fill management and decision making positions, trains and develops people for advancement into such positions. It also focuses on the compensation systems and reward structures currently used in the workplace. The Federal Glass Ceiling Commission’s report summarized the major barriers to women’s advancement in organizations. Included in its list was placement in "relatively dead-end staff jobs"; lack of mentoring, management training, and career development; and lack of job rotation and "critical development activities" opportunities. Despite the rapidly increasing rates of female education and participation in the workforce worldwide, most women continue to suffer from occupational segregation in the workplace and rarely break through the "glass ceiling." Fewer than 5% of women occupy senior-level positions in major corporations, and only two women hold the position of chief executive officer in Fortune 1000 companies. The women who do land a management job tend to be clustered in certain activities to the point where certain functions are almost feminized. For example, in the US, the increase in women’s share of personnel and labour relations managers was higher than in other areas. It went from 21 percent in 1970 up to 58 per cent in 1991. The study notes that career paths in human resource management and administration are less likely to lead directly to the top than other strategic areas such as product development or corporate finance. Minorities and women were more likely to be placed in staff positions, such as human resources and public relations, than in 2006-07-31T15:34:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Glass-Ceiling-in-Modern-Day-Employment-30894.aspx Human Psychology and Self-Image Have you ever seen a popular women’s magazine that doesn’t target self-image? Probably not. Media seems to make real life extremely unrealistic. I mean how many people actually weigh about 100 pounds, that are totally healthy and in shape? Not many. In today’s society, women are always constantly worry about weight and the way they look and it’s all because of television, magazines, movies, and so on. The media tends to form a set image of how a person should look or act. To me, this only makes people weak. What type of girl do you picture when you hear “cheerleader”? Yep. Someone a lot like the cartoon character Brittany from MTV’s hit show Daria. –ditzy, jumping, screaming, and helpless when it come to doing much of anything else. We also have stereotypes of what a beautiful woman is supposed to look like. How familiar is the description: 5’7”, long blond hair, blue eyes, super skinny? Besides the fact that most women aren’t built like that, this ideal version of beauty leaves out anyone whose family tree doesn’t go back to a Northern European Country. Most people are left out of this fairy princess stereotype that is all over TV. Think about it. Why are we so obsessed with fat? It seems like you can’t get through a single day without somebody complaining about being fat or comparing weights or talking about being on a diet. Most of the time it’s the girls who look perfectly fine. Doesn’t this get just a little bit old? Think of all the things we could be talking about –world peace, fighting starvation, or hey, even math homework –but instead we waste all this time making a show of how much we hate our bodies all due to the set image of media. Even though media is constantly trying to convince us that what we really need is to be stick-thin and covered in expensive makeup and clothes, why do we feel so much pressure even within our groups of friends to go on and on about fat this and fat that? It’s because of four main reasons. Number one, it’s a reason to cover for something else. Number two, you may feel pressured while in a group that talks about fat constantly so you find yourself doing the exact same thing. Number three, you’re looking for a compliment. And finally 2006-07-31T15:27:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Human-Psychology-and-Self-Image-30890.aspx The Life Of Medieval Women I have been asked to write an essay on the subject of the role of women in the middle ages. In this essay I am attempting to out line the opinion that how hard life for women was. There were some ways that women could gain both personal and legal freedom but this was very difficult. Women could not even say or do what they wanted without permission from men. What kinds of work did medieval women have to do? Different classes of women would have done different jobs. The poor women would have worked because their husbands would not have been able to support them and their many children on his wages alone. She would have had so many children due to the high death rate because there was no cure for disease and there was no contraception. She would have taken any jobs she could find, for example gathering hay in a field and they worked with no shoes on their feet. – Source 0. Women would have helped her husband ploughing and even he would have been working for a farmer. She took her baby with her in the freezing cold. – Source 9. If she had of been a widow she may have taken over her dead husband’s job. This may have been a blacksmith, to do this job she would have had to be very strong. – Source 5. A stonemason would have also had to be very strong –Source 13. Women who had no money could become a nun; this would mean she had rights, as they remain celibate, because as soon as they marry their land and property becomes her husbands and at his disposal. – Source 3. This would provide protection as they grow their own food and have a secure home. They would have a chance to live a religious life and it gave them the chance of a career. There were also many famous nuns and abbesses. - Source 18 A midwife was another occupation for a woman as no males were admitted to the ward when a woman was giving birth. Some of these 2006-07-30T21:19:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Life-Of-Medieval-Women--30845.aspx Psychology of a College Student Some say that mankind is complex beyond comprehension. I cannot, of course, speak for every other individual on this earth, but I do not believe that I am a very difficult person to understand. My life is based upon two very simple, sweeping philosophies: pragmatism in actions and idealism in thought. Thus, with these two attitudes, I characterize myself. Pragmatism in actions. I believe utterly in one of those old cliches: we are given only a limited time upon this earth and every moment wasted is lost forever. Therefore, I do not engage in those things that I view as useless. The next question is obvious. What do I view as useless? In reality, perhaps too many things and definitely too many to address in one essay. However, I can indulge in the discussion of a few. Hate is a wasted emotion. Hate accomplishes nothing. It does not relieve hunger. It does not alleviate pain. It creates only avoidable aggression. I do not believe in any kind of hate, including prejudice and racism. My energies and time can be better spent elsewhere. Anger too. What does anger do? Nothing. It frustrates us and aggravates us, and we can avoid it. Being frustrated is not a pleasing experience for me. When I was young, or rather, when I was younger than I am now, I would explode at the smallest disturbances (I'm sorry mom and dad). Now, I have realized that anger is a waste of time, and I no longer have a temper to lose. I would much rather wallow in happiness. And in my happiness, I do not worry much over my image in the eyes of others. The important word here is much, for there are opinions of certain individuals about which I do care a great deal, but these are few. They include my family, my close friends, and those who possess the power to affect my life significantly (for example, university admissions officers). Otherwise, I pay no attention to whispers behind my back or vague rumors circulating in the air above. As long as I know the truth, however harsh it may be, and those that I care about know the truth, I am not troubled. The masses may think as they wish. They are entitled. As can probably be observed from this essay thus far, my outlook on life 2006-07-30T21:09:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychology-of-a-College-Student-30841.aspx Social Psychology Essay on Group Experiences During my experiences working in groups I have found that there are various factors to consider when group productivity is the desired outcome of the group. Some of these factors are: social loafing, evaluation apprehension, considering the personalities of each group member and the creation of social norms. Social loafing is the tendency for one or more members of the group to under perform and benefit from the work that other group members put in. Evaluation apprehension is the fear that other members of the group are evaluating your performance. Personalities of all the group members need to be considered as a dominant personality may be competitive and people who are competitive can manipulate other group members. Social norms are rules that describe appropriate behavior for all group members. All of these things need to be considered when productivity of the group is the desired goal. (Bond & McConkey, 2001) Social norms such as waiting until the person speaking has finished before interrupting, taking turns in speaking, not to dominate the group in any way, to respect others ideas and thoughts even if you disagree and agreeing as a group of appropriate language to be used within the group, are always a good idea to have in a group as it can minimize the chance of confrontation and arguments between group members. In my experiences working with groups I have found that people with dominating personalities generally adopt the role of leader and tend to be very competitive within the group. This is a hard problem to overcome as all of the group members have different skills to contribute to the group and are required to fulfill the task appropriately. Perhaps after observing the group if you where to allocate the role of leader to a non-dominating personality within the group, people tend to feel less dominated and work better in the group. A few social norms that are common in a group are, waiting until the person talking has finished before interrupting, taking turns in speaking, to respect all the group members by not dominating conversations and agreeing as a group as to the appropriate language to be used within the group. A technique to try is the brainstorming or nominal group technique to help 2006-07-30T20:49:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-Essay-on-Group-Experiences-30834.aspx Theory of Rationalization And Theory Of McDonaldization When the task of comparing and contrasting the works of two acclaimed sociologists is asked of you there are many things that leap into one’s mind. Firstly there is the factor of time or circa, the first of the two being Max Weber who was born in 1864 and is considered to be one of the forefathers of sociological theory. The second, George Ritzer is a man of our time and in fact still a lecturer at the University of Maryland in America on sociology today. Max Weber was committed to the study of causality, the probability that an event would be followed by another event not necessarily of a simular nature. In addition to this he also believed that social scientists should not let their personal values influence their scientific research. In this area Weber thought that sociology should be “value Free”. One of Webers best-known contributions to contemporary sociology is the ideal type. An ideal type is a concept constructed by a social scientist, based on his or her interests and theoretical orientation, to capture the essential features of some social phenomenon. Weber also analyzed the levels to which rationality was becoming institutionally embedded in modern industrialized societies. In short the rationalization process is the practical application of knowledge to achieve a desired goal. It has been shown to lead to better efficiency, coordination and control over what can be assumed to be both the physical and social environment. Rationalization is the guiding principle behind bureaucracy and the increasing division of labor. IT has led to the unprecedented increase in both the production of goods and services, and the up rise of secularization, depersonalization and oppressive routine. Bureaucracy was according to Weber a form of organization superior to all others, and due to this fact further bureaucratization and rationalization was most probably an inescapable fate. Webber wrote in one of his many books: Economy and society, “Without this form of (social) technology the industrialized countries could not have reached the heights of extravagance and wealth that they currently enjoy”. Weber believed that this capacity for social order would lead to the evolution of the iron cage, and as a result a society that was technically ordered, rigid, and dehumanized. Like Weber, George Ritzer’s theory on McDonaldization also deals with the “Iron Cage” of existence. 2006-07-30T20:33:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Theory-of-Rationalization-and-Theory-Of-McDonaldization-30825.aspx Cultural Study on Mawi Asgedom from Ethiopia When Mawi Asgedom was three years old he fled the war-torn country of Ethiopia with his family. He ended up in a refugee camp in Sudan where he spent three years of his life. In these camps, him and his family heard magnificent stories about a place called “Amerikha.” This, of course, caused them to want to move there. After about a year they were able to immigrate to Chicago, Illinois. When they arrived in Chicago they lived in a one-room motel room while an immigration office tried to find a church to sponsor them. After that failed, they were moved to the rich suburb of Wheaton, Illinois to see if a church would sponsor them there. They did find a church there and they ended up living in a nice two-story home, which the church paid for most of. But the years ahead of them would be long and hard. Throughout Mawi’s life in adolescence and as a teenager, he had to deal with many conflicts that all made his life harder. First of all, all of the kids at the school he went to made fun of how him and his brothers/sisters were black. Kids would wait after school for him just to beat him up and make fun of him. Another thing that he had to deal with was language. He didn’t speak much English, which made it very difficult for him to learn things. Poverty was another thing he had to cope with. Him and his family had to get all of their clothes from a dumpster. Poverty also led him to stealing. He once found a parking meter and took it off of its hinges with his brother. They tried to open but before they could a police officer found them. They ran all of the way home and they never got caught. After a few years, Mawi learned good English, which allowed him to learn in the classes a lot better. He ended up being an extremely good student who always got straight A’s. In his senior year of High school, Mawi received a letter from Harvard University. They were giving him a full scholarship to their school. Mawi went to Harvard and ended up graduating in the top eight of Harvard in 1999. Mawi lives in Chicago to this day. He is twenty-four years old and 2006-07-29T16:32:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cultural-Study-on-Mawi-Asgedom-from-Ethiopia-30798.aspx Dissociative Identity Disorder- Diagnoses and Treatment It is very important to diagnose a case of dissociative identity disorder; if it is not diagnosed, it may lead to death. However, therapists have had many problems in diagnosing this type of disorder. This is due to two major factors. The first is that DID is seen as a very unusual disorder, and most cases of DID are mistaken for Schizophrenia. The second factor is that there is a lack of guidelines for the diagnosis of DID. Hence, even when DID is diagnosed it usually takes multiple weeks-or even months to recognize. There are three categories of special techniques that are used to diagnose DID. The first category is screenings tools that are used to identify patients at risk for any dissociative disorder, not exclusively DID. The second category is structured interviews, and the third category is informal interviews. There are three screenings tools that are used to identify patients at risk for a dissociative disorder. The first tool is the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). The DES is a twenty-eight question self-report that rates a patient’s dissociative symptoms and experiences. The patient indicates his/her agreement with a question by circling a percentage from 0% to 100%. The sum of the twenty-eight scores is taken and averaged to determine whether or not the patient suffers from a dissociative disorder. The DES is reported to have 80% sensitivity, and DID patients usually score above forty points. The two other screenings tools are the Dissociative Questionnaire and the Questionnaire of Experiences of Dissociation, and are both very similar to the DES. There are four types of structured interviews that can be used to diagnose DID. The first interview is the Dissociative Disorder Interview Schedule (DDIS). This interview is very time consuming (it can take anywhere from forty-five minutes to three hours) and is used more in research settings than clinical. There are one-hundred thirty-one items in the interview, most which ask about childhood sexual abuse. The DDIS serves to diagnose dissociative disorders, somatization disorders, major depression, and borderline personality disorder. It is reported to have high sensitivity and a specificity for diagnosing DID. The second interview is the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders Revised (SCID-D-R). This interview is also very time consuming and is used more in research settings than clinical. In addition, it requires special training. The interview is highly sensitive to 2006-07-28T08:16:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dissociative-Identity-Disorder-Diagnoses-and-Treatment-30756.aspx Enivironmental Regulation and Basic Economic Freedoms “Do Environmental Regulations Violate Basic Economic Freedoms?” This is the question posed and debated by the authors of each position taken. Which issue is more prevalent – the progress of our financial economy through business ownership or the protection of our natural environment by the dictation of regulations in which Americans must abide by? Can both viewpoints exist symbiotically? Does government intervention, in an effort to preserve our ecosystem, negatively affect business owners? It would seem that at times, this is the case; however, businesses do not always conduct their affairs with consideration of the possible or probable implications their actions may pose on the environment. As a whole, Americans understand the environmental issues that surround us on a basic level. However, do we understand the underlying, fundamental causes that contribute to the more obvious issues that we are presented with? The often negligent or misdirected acts that are committed by businesses and the public would suggest this is not the case. Furthermore, the American naiveté is perpetuated by the onslaught of attacks and inaccurate information that is released concerning our nation’s environmental state of health. John Shanahan, a former VP and counsel for The Alexis de Tocqueville Institution in Arlington, Virginia represents the position that environmental regulations stifle American economic autonomy. The Tocqueville Institution’s mission statement declares, “Our principles guide the selection of which issues are critical to the advancement of freedom – but we don’t rush to judgment about which means will be most effective in producing it” (Internet). A respectable statement in principle; however, after reading Shanahan’s argument, it is obvious that his position is biased. Shanahan concurs with the assertion that environmental dilemmas are present in our nation, but does not feel that we should express any sense of urgency in rectifying our situation. My interpretation of this is that one should not acknowledge a detrimental issue’s presence, yet at the same time, deny the need for preventative measures to be taken. Shanahan seems to maintain a neutral position with the statement, “The challenge is how to achieve both a strong economy and a healthy environment…what Americans really want is a high quality of life.” However, his argument leads us in a different direction. Paul 2006-07-27T08:01:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Enivironmental-Regulation-and-Basic-Economic-Freedoms-30692.aspx Analysis of Juvenille Delinquincy Delinquent behavior, whether in children, adolescents, or adults, is childish and anti-social behavior and usually not in the long-term best interests of its perpetrators. Most adolescent delinquents are extremely dependent upon their peer groups, primarily because they have no functioning families, effective parenting, nurturing, or positive adult role models to rely on. These young people come from all ethnic backgrounds and live in middle- and upper-class neighborhoods as well as in ghettos. We hear most about black and Hispanic gangs running drugs, stealing, and mugging; but there are also white gangs, such as neo-nazis and skin-heads, that for adults may take on the functions of survivalist or para-military groups, political parties or lobbying organizations, while still maintaining their essential character and intent. Membership in a gang provides a sense of power or belonging. It takes the place of kinship. The gang is the post-modern "family," complete with codes of protection and loyalty for its members. That they are substitutes for families is what gives the groups their psychological power and makes it so difficult for them to break up or dissolve. The shared desire for money, power, and violence joins people together both at the top and at the bottom of our social structure. At the top are the "good old boy" network and the military-industrial complex that General Eisenhower cautioned us against a generation ago, of which the powerful gun lobby and the defense contractors are striking examples At the other end of the social spectrum, there are the gangs in our inner cities, whose territories have come to resemble war zones. Fire, police, and ambulance services often will not venture into such ares on weekends or at the height of violent sprees, from fear for their lives. A kind of barbarism now prevails in many cities that nobody wants to talk about. Police alone cannot solve these problems because crime is not their real cause and because police under increasing stress or frustration may contribute to crime with racism and excessive violence. The real cause of inner city turmoil is the violent, abusive family, or, more accurately, the disintegration of the family as a positive social unit. This root cause is reflected in other 2006-07-27T07:59:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Juvenille-Delinquincy-30691.aspx Understanding Psychology and its Methods In a world driven by experience, the quest to find the best method and approach to scientific and psychological studies continues. McGartland and Polgar (1994) contend that psychology can be clearly seen to have two distinct methods of investigation- 1) The empirico- mathematical and 2) the culture interpretive method. In recognizing this, it is still often the empirico-mathematical approach that is dominantly used and the commitment to this method has, according to McGartland & Polgar (1994) not been successful in advancing the discipline of psychology, instead creating conceptual confusion. Rather then relying solely on one method it is suggested that in place must be a neat combination of both the quantitative and the qualitative that govern inquiry. The aim of this is to give rise to all aspects of the person being studied with the integration of the culture- interpreting method seeking knowledge about people in natural settings, revealing the context out of which personal meanings can arise in the everyday settings and the empirico-mathematical that reduces human nature to ‘specific, operationally defined variables, the level of which can be objectively and consensually observed or measured.’(p21) Kuhn (1970 in McGartland & Polgar, 1994) questions whether scientific discoveries may be the source of the paradigm shifts that define the reinterpretation and restructuring of the discipline that makes it difficult to predict what will next lend form and direction to theoretical formulations and research findings of psychology. Engel (1992) also pays close attention to the notion of paradigm shifts, and in doing so argues that while medicine has made many advances since the 17th century they are still however bound by the ‘school of thought in which scientists as objective observers are to regard nature as independent from themselves and unaffected by their act of observation’ (p335). This is in accordance with the predominantly used empirico-mathematical methodology in psychology. Under the 20th century paradigm characterized by Einstein and Heisenberg in Engel (1992) science is defined, as ‘what is being studied is inseparable from the scientist, who devises mental constructs of his/her experiences with it as a means of characterizing his/her understanding of its properties and behaviour’ (p336). The scientific world’s somewhat unwillingness to adapt this approach is at the heart of Engel’s argument. This I foresee is more widely appropriate model, with the observational component (the measurable and categorical that is evidently in plain view e.g. 2006-07-26T23:17:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-Psychology-and-its-Methods-30687.aspx Social Psychology Individual And Group Behavior In order to answer this question I will have to look at the process of maturation. The course of development in man is shaped by maturation and learning. The issue between inherent growth aspects Maturation, and the influence of experience, as in learning is one that has to be faced in many areas of psychology. Maturation assumes that timing and patterns of change beyond birth are relatively independent of experience and go on beyond despite wide variations in the environment. There are two main theories of child development, no psychologist would argue that any one argument in isolation could contribute wholly to the development process. What is clear is that the interactions between these two main arguments contribute to who we are. The first main argument that I will look at is the empiricists, who believe that the environment that we are brought up in is the main reason that we develop the way that we do, the main arguments are put forward by J.B. Watson who considered “that the child was born as a Tabula Rasa (a blank slate)” (N.Hayes, 1987 Psychology an Introduction pg2) . Watson was a total empiricist who believed that we are a blank slate that experience would write on. The other main view point put forward was the nativists who believed that we are pre-programmed and develop according to our genetic make-up through our genes and chromosomes. This viewpoint was put forward by Gesell who believed “children developed almost entirely as a result of genetic influence with there environment having little effect” (N.Hayes, 1987 Psychology an Introduction pg2) . Most of the studies that have been carried out about learning have been tested on animals rather than humans and there is many different theories of learning. Learning can be described as “ a change in behaviour brought about as a result of experience” (N. Hayes, 2000, Foundations of Psychology, pg577) .. The first form of learning that is going to be looked at is classical conditioning. Two different investigations were done on this associative learning. American J.B. Watson in 1903 developed a theory called the law of exercise, which stated that “a learned link-an association-between a stimulus and a response could be forged simply by repeating the two together often enough” (N. Hayes, 2000, Foundations of Psychology, pg577). 2006-07-26T12:32:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Psychology-Individual-And-Group-Behavior-30680.aspx Xu Shan: Memories of Prenatal Period: The discovery of a Spiritual and Cultural Prototype of Human Beings Published Xu Shan: Memories of Prenatal Period: The discovery of a Spiritual and Cultural Prototype of Human Beings (Chinese edition, 2002, New Star Publishing House, Seoul, Kerea) Xu Shan (1)Professor, Dept. of Chinese, Suzhou University, Suzhou 215006, P.R.China. M.A. 1987, Nanjing Teachers' Univ; Ph.D. 2002, Shanghai Teachers' University. (2)Blog: http://blog.sina.com.cn/m/xu_shan (3)Works: 1.Thunder-God Worship: The Origin of Chinese Culture, Shanghai Joint Publishing House, Shanghai, 1992; 2. The Origin of Chinese Language, Sichuan People's Publishing House, Sichuan, 1998; 3. Xu Shan's Selected Papers on Chinese Language, New Star Publishing House, Seoul, 2002; 4.Memories of Prenatal Period: The discovery of a Spiritual and Cultural Prototype of Human Beings, New Star Publishing House, Seoul,2002; 5. Research Papers on Chinese Ancient Characters, Chinese Literature and History Publishing House, 2003; 6. Xu Shan's 1000 Short Poems, Cozy House Publisher, New York,2004; 7. An Analysis of the Structure and Words of The Book of Changes, China Bookstore, 2005. Abstract The affairs the author had experienced in a week's time after Jan. 29, 1996, impelled an important turn in the author's thought. With the study of stories (A huge Dinosaur lays eggs, etc.) and dreams narrated by my daughter (6 years old, born on Jan. 25, 1990) as well as the author's self-hypnosis, it has been made clear that the starting point of human beings' spirit originates from memories of prenatal period, of which the strong marks and influence left in personal history and mankind's culture can be observed. To take memories of prenatal period as a new angle to survey extensively the history of human beings and the creations of our mankind's souls, a lot of hard-to-understand riddles have been deciphered. The discovery of memories of prenatal period turns over a new leaf in the field of life sciences, and makes an important step in the fields of psychology, religion, dream culture, literature study, and traditional culture and ideology. Contents Preface We want to reopen the story of the beginning of life. I want to know what I am and why I am so. Fortunately an opportunity has come at last. 1. A Huge Dinosaur Lays Eggs Everyone seems to be unable to recall his own things in a period of time after birth, not to mention birth itself. The story "A Huge Dinosaur Lays Eggs" on January 29, 1996 2006-07-26T11:48:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Xu-Shan-Memories-of-Prenatal-Period-30668.aspx Working with Emotional Intelligence In Daniel Goldman’s book “Working with Emotional Intelligence”, he gives us competencies that shape our work and lives. I can see many situations where I have failed and succeeded in the categories that Goldman provided for us. I found that when I first started working for Jim Bob it was going to be nothing but an uphill battle getting my ideas for innovation across. I wanted to take what current strengths and weaknesses we had in our industry and within the company itself and improve on them. Everyone needed to understand that we needed to develop these areas. There was a resistance to putting everything on computer and basically automating all of our processes that was previously done by managers and employees. Being able to adapt to change through innovation was needed. Understanding that this simplifies their job and removes the chances of human error on their part. Although skeptic to the idea of changing from old trusted ways, they made an effort to see where I could take this. Since then, learning how this new technology made their jobs has become a success. Work orders are now online and information can be found at the push of a button. All those who doubted at first, finally accepted the idea of innovation and are ecstatic with the results. There has also been a few times in my life where I can say that failing to use one of these competencies has had negative effects. Let me emphasize on the FEW. Yeah, I wish. There have been some instances where lack of motivation has taken its toll on goals. One of the great examples would be getting my college degree. I have been a perpetual student for the last 5 years. Taking a class here a class there to fill in the space and work towards that goal. I never understood the time and dedication required to effectively finish the goal of making it that line and breaking the tape. I was lacking the achievement drive to make it to the end. In the short term, school was easy and I had more free time for work and play. What I didn’t see was that while I was slowly biting away from the big pie, is that 2006-07-25T16:07:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Working-with-Emotional-Intelligence-30651.aspx Key Features of "Culture" Culture. What is culture? How do you define it? How does a culture become just that? Culture is a way of life made up of groups of things. There are many upon many groups and they are all important. Three key features are social organization, customs and traditions, and finally arts and literature. Social Organization is the social structure to which every culture bases its self on. Each culture has it’s own basic needs that is met through this social organization. The most important unit is the family. This is where the children learn how they are to behave and what they are to believe. Each family has different morals and ways to teach their children. Within the family status there lives the nuclear family and the extended family. The nuclear family holds a husband, wife and children. This is the typical family patter in many industrial societies within the United States. In this family unit there does not need to be many members. For this family buys what it needs with the earnings that it has made. Next, in the extended family there are several generations living together in one household it is common in this family to find that respect for elders is strong. The elders are the ones that pass on the wisdom so in that aspect they are given high respect. The people with authority often vary throughout different cultures. In most societies, and those before us were patriarchal. In a patriarchal family men are the ones with authority. In some cultures matriarchal is present. Matriarchal is when the woman contains the highest authority. Most all cultures have social classes in to which they base or rank their people by. The more modern social class is based on money, occupation, education, ancestry or some other form. In some societies religious leaders are the highest in their social class. Usually in the past you had to be born into a class of the upper society or you “change your stars.” Customs and traditions are made entirely of the most important element in its class, which is a culture’s rule of behavior. As known rules may vary in importance and different rules are enforced in different ways. Some 2006-07-25T15:35:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Key-Features-of-Culture-30639.aspx The Growth of Labor Unions The growth of labor unions around the world have provided a more secure work environment for many workers. This was not always the case. Still today many workers are not receiving the proper payment or working conditions. Labor Union is an association of workers that seeks to improve the economic and social well being of its members through group action. A labor union represents its member negotiations with an employer over all aspects of an employment contract, including wages and working conditions. By giving workers a united voice, a union can try to negotiate higher wages, shorter hours, and better benefits. Benefits such as insurance and retirement plans. When an employer and union cannot reach a mutual decisions through a bargaining the union may conduct a strike. A strike is an organized work stoppage. In many countries, labor unions have official affiliations with political partie and seek to bring about social change through legislative and political action. The United States has a tradition of so called business unionism, In which the main goal of the labor union is to improve wages and working conditions. Unions in the United States often engage in political activities. These political activities include lobbying for legislation that furthers the aims of the labor movement and providing financial support candidate that are friendly to union causes. The first association of workers, merchant associations and craft associations, formed during the Middle Ages in Europe. Merchant associations, which arose in the 11th century consisted of the merchants and traders in a city who banded together. Craft associations, first formed in the 12th century, that included people who were engaged in particular craft, ad they gradually deprived merchant associations of their power. In time the members of the crafts unions organized their own associations to seek higher wages and improved working conditions. These associations are considered the forerunners of labor unions because of their emphasis on wages and the working conditions. The earliest actual “labor unions” arose in Western Europe and the United States at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. They were formed be skilled crafts workers in reaction to the rapid changes in the economic environment brought about by industrialization. The concentration of work in large factories left workers increasingly dependent upon their employers. The early labor 2006-07-25T12:45:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Growth-of-Labor-Unions--30631.aspx The Effects of Depression on Teenagers Teenage years are depressing because they are going through some of the biggest changes in their life. Teens start high school and have to deal with being little in a school again. They go through major hormonal changes. Their bodies develop and grow. They have to decide whether or not they are going to college or not. If they choose college, then what college will meet their needs the best? Will they even be accepted to the college they want to go to? These are major decisions and changes they have never experienced before. Then there is the daily life. They wake up in the morning dreading school, they know they have to go. They just don't want to go. Then they get ready and go to school. They are depressed about school. They go to all their classes. The end of the day is nearing and they may be depressed about having to go home. Their family life might be bad. They go home and what do you do? Sit down, watch television, play a video game, lock themselves in their room, or just going around being mad at everyone and their life. This really is the pits. They need to change their life whether it be changing their after school activity or changing their attitude. Depression is defined as a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies. No two people feel or experience depression the same way. The symptoms and causes of depression are very different for everyone. Lawrence Clayton, Ph.D. and Sharon Carter write, "The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) [reported that] for 4 to 10 percent of the American public at any given time the ["downer"] mood doesn't lift." They also reported that one quarter of the population would experience a major depressive period during their lifetime (8). One out of four people will have a problem with depression in the United States. NIMH also reported that "approximately 4 out of a 100 teenagers get seriously depressed each year. Clinical Depression is a serious illness that can affect anybody, INCLUDING TEENAGERS" ("Let's Talk" 1). Gerald D. Oster, Ph.D., Sarah S. Montgomery, MSW, write, "Clinical depression refers to a condition 2006-07-25T12:36:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Depression-on-Teenagers-30629.aspx Study of the Republic of the Philippines The islands of the Republic of the Philippines have many natural resources that could aid in making this new Disney Park which include timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, and copper. With its abundance of forests, over 46% of the Philippines are woodlands; there will be more than enough wood to build rides and/or buildings. The Philippines also have many ways of getting electricity to power the Park. For example, it has hydropower, fossil fuels, and various other ways. Also, some of the Philippines major industries are electronic and electrical products so there should be no problem getting electricity anywhere in the Park. There are many different forms of transportation available to people on these islands. Out of the 199,950 kilometers of highway, 39,590 kilometers are paved, 3,219 kilometers of waterways, 76 airports with paved runways, and many ports and harbors. In total, there are 459 merchant marine ships, which can carry just about anything from cargo, livestock, passengers, and vehicles. There are also 212 total airports with unpaved runways so that when more tourists come, the airplanes can land there as well as at the airports with paved runways. The people who will be working on building this new Disney Park will be quite educated. By 1988 the literacy rate was 88% nation wide. 56% of the people nation wide are enrolled in high school and enrollment in institutions of higher learning exceeded 1.6 million in the late 1980’s and is increasing. Filipinos consider education to be its primary path towards a better society and economic mobility and are using the United States as a model for its educational system. Language should not be a problem since on of the two officials languages of the Philippines is English. Also, the life expectancy rate is about 67.8 years with a birth rate of 27.37 births per 1,000 people and a population growth rate of 2.03%. The labor force is approximately 48.1 million, 5.8% of which are construction workers. There is a 10% unemployment rate that the government would like to decrease, and the construction of this park would help give many people jobs, which would help this country’s economy. The Philippines consists of over 7,000 islands, which cover a total land area of 298,170 kilometers, which is slightly larger than Arizona. Terrain is mostly mountains with coastal lowlands below. 2006-07-25T12:22:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-the-Republic-of-the-Philippines-30621.aspx Study and Analysis of Thailand's Developing Economy The economy of Thailand, until recently, has been the model of progress and growth in southeast Asia. At present, the Thai economy is slowly recovering from the recent regional downturn. However, much of Thailand’s economic trouble could have been avoided. The problems encountered will be outlined in order to provide a model of what not to do in a similar situation. Thailand’s recent history has been one continuos trend of GDP growth. In the 1950’s, the Thai economy managed to grow at an average rate of approximately 5% per year. By the mid 1960’s, the average annual rate of output growth had increased to 8.4%. Due to the sharply increasing petroleum prices in the 1970’s, Thailand’s growth slowed temporarily, in part due to heavy dependency on oil as a fuel source. By the late 70’s, aggregate output in Thailand had increased to the point that average growth per year was near 7% (Muscat, 2-3). It must be noted, nonetheless, that some of this amazing economic growth was due to U.S. subsidies, given to help Thailand combat the illegal narcotics trade (Muscat, 251). In the 1980’s, Thailand saw continued expansion of its output, but this is largely due to the sectoral shifts taking place in the Thai economy. Historically, Thailand has depended on the export of primary goods such as rice, natural rubber, corn and sugar. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, industry (particularly textiles) had begun to significantly contribute to aggregate output, as had tourism (Muscat, 3&191). The export of staple crops has enjoyed protection of the government in that Thai regulations ensure that domestic demand for these items has been met before any exports can be made (http://www.eximworld.com/ti-bcc/ibp/eft/eft_iecl.htm) The real trouble for Thailand began in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. While the government had always followed stringent guidelines regarding debt structure for the public sector, the private sector was under no such obligation. Hungry for foreign funds to finance the acquisition of capital goods with which to enhance production, private firms increased borrowing at a rapid rate. This was, in part, made possible by the inception of the Bangkok International Banking Facility, which made transactions in foreign currency accounts much easier. In 1990, net capital inflow to Thailand was 8% of GDP and 2006-07-23T19:43:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-and-Analysis-of-Thailand-s-Developing-Economy-30553.aspx Psychology Theories on American Girls In America, girls are given the message at a very young age that in order to be happy and successful, they must be thin. Given the value, which our society places on being thin, it is not surprising that eating disorders are on the increase. In America thousands of teenage girls are dealing with emotional situations daily and eating behavior can be affected by the way they are feeling. Eating disorders affect over five million men and women in the United States, and sadly enough thousands of them will die from the physical problems caused by conditions that are linked with eating disorders. Most people think of the extremes of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating; the truth is that almost every American, at some point in his or her lifetime, will suffer from issues of weight loss, body shape, or self-image, if not all three. Due to these factors, eating disorders are a major concern for psychologists today (Harmon, 1999). This trend, however, is found mainly in America and countries with western ideals. Eating Disorders are primarily behavior disorders. Douglas Eagles (1987) states, “the behavioral disturbance leads to disorders of nutrition” (p. 71). The definition of Eating Disorders as defined by Harmon (1999), “a psychological disorder in which a person is unable or unwilling to maintain normal eating habits, and instead engages in self starvation, binging, purging, or some combination of these behaviors (83). Eating disorders are not just about losing weight and the search for the ideal body, they are mainly about expressing difficult feelings (Abraham & Llewellyn-Jones, 1999). Eating Disorders affect over five million Americans and thousands will die from these conditions (American Anorexia Bulimia Association [AABA], 2001). The prevalence of eating disorders has increased in the last forty years. It is believed that extreme eating disorders occur in approximately 4 percent of American females (Costin, 1999). However, eating disorders can also be found in males. “Both anorexia and bulimia appear to be much more common in women than in men, from 90 to 95 percent of all patients are females” (Long, 1999). Eating disorders typically begins in adolescence between the ages of twelve and twenty-five, however, it may begin as early as seven and can continue until as late as fifty-nine. There are three main classifications of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. The general definition of anorexia 2006-07-23T17:21:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychology-Theories-on-American-Girls-30531.aspx The Use of Ritalin in Treating ADD and ADHD Moving beyond ADD/ADHD is a book that discussed what Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is. It is a condition for which the medication Ritalin is most commonly prescribed. Its diagnosis is based on problems with attention, focus, impulsivity, or over activity at school or home. The book distinguishes the difference between ADD and ADHD according to the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic and statistical manual, the DSM IV, which is used by insurance companies, school personnel and mental health clinicians. The text also clarifies (according to the scientific method) the root causes of ADD/ADHD. The root causes determined that ADD/ADHD is not a neurological disfunction. Instead, it is a condition of imbalance within the mind-body level. These imbalances have physical counter parts within the brain wave and biochemical functioning. This causes a “lack of centering and grounding.” Which means that an ADD/ADHD person falls short of being in tune with oneself, and being fully embodied in one’s physical experience (sensing one’s true and authentic thoughts, feelings and needs.) The principle ideas discussed in Moving Beyond ADD/ADHD are designed to shift the consciousness of a person struggling with ADD/ADHD form the ADD/ADHD state of being to self-containment that is freedom from ADD/ADHD. Furthermore, the text explores alternatives to ADD/ADHD such as medication, nutrition and therapeutic intervention. I chose this particular book because I am interested in the Behavioral Perspective of Psychology. Jean Piaget, an influential observer of children, developed the Behavioral Perspective. According to behaviorists, learning can be defined as the relatively permanent change in behavior brought about as a result of experience or practice. In fact, the term “learning theory” is often associated with the behavioral view. Researchers who affiliated with this position generally do not look with favor on the term “behavior potential” (i.e., may be capable of performing but did not for some reason such as illness, situation, etc.) that was included in a definition accepted by those with a cognitive or humanistic viewpoint. The focus of the behavioral approach is on how the environment impacts overt behavior. Furthermore, there are four types of behavioral learning theories. The first is the Contiguity Theory. This theory says that any stimulus and response connected in time and/or space will tend to 2006-07-22T18:36:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Use-of-Ritalin-in-Treating-ADD-and-ADHD-30487.aspx Case Study on Misguided Youth The following case study taken from Eftimiades et al. evidences the effect of a child left unsupervised by parents during his formative years to become a violent adult. Jeremy Strohmeyer was an average 18-year-old teenager who grew increasingly defiant as time progressed. He was once a successful student and a volleyball player. He lived a middle class life; his mother was a successful marketing executive and his father was a real estate investor. Jeremy’s community was shocked to see or hear of the murder he committed. Jeremy, his friend David and David’s father traveled to Nevada to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday. At a casino in Nevada Jeremy began to play hide and seek with 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson. Sherrice left to go to the restroom and Jeremy followed. He then raped and strangled the child and left to continue celebrating the holiday with David and David’s father. A surveillance tape recorded the entire event and was aired on national television. Jeremy’s classmates recognized him, and he was arrested. Many people blame Jeremy’s parents for the incident even though the tape stunned them too. His parents were also unaware of the fact that he owned a collection of pornographic photos including those of young children. Jeremy’s mother was always at work and did not take time to participate in his life (Eftimiades et al. 65). Violence among children is increasing dramatically. The number of murders committed by adolescents has notably risen from 1,000 to almost 4,000 over the last decade (Eftimiades et al. 63). The increase of violent children is proportional to the increase of single parent families. According to the Chancellor of the New York City school system, 12,000 of the 60,000 kindergartners are being raised by mothers in their teenage years, and forty percent of the children are being raised in single-parent homes (Fagan 61). Although the cause of each violent child is unique to the individual, there are several acknowledged risk factors that contribute to the increase of violence among children. The lack of parental presence, an unstable family unit, government intervention, and the absence of a father are contributing factors that trigger violence among children. Children tend to become violent and behave improperly when they experience a lack of presence, communication and 2006-07-22T17:39:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Case-Study-on-Misguided-Youth-30467.aspx Learning how to Handle Stress This essay is about handling the stress of University studies. We will be looking into many ideas and different people¹s views on how to handle stress. I will also be giving my own opinions on how I think stress can be controlled or relieved. The first thing we must do is ask ourselves one very important question, ³what is stress²? According to an Australian born physician, Hans Selye (1979), stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it. The body responds in many ways. One is to the loss of blood and the other is to the lack of sleep. Both of these are nonspecific responses, however all demands made on the body evoke generalized, nonspecific responses. For example, they all unable you to concentrate as would normally be expected, they activate one¹s sympathetic nervous system, and they also increase the amount of the hormone epinephrine that is being released into your body. When people say they¹ve been under going a lot of stress they are usually referring to a couple of unpleasant experiences. Now that we have an idea on what stress is the next question we should ask ourselves is ³what is or can cause stress². There are many different things that cause stress. One may be if you have a big term paper due and you want to do your best to impress your seminar leader. Another may be peer or family related. All in all it is things, events, situations, and people that cause stress. It is how we perceive them that will determine whether or not stress will be a result from the encounter. Not only negative situations are the cause of stress. Joy and happiness can also cause stress even though they are positive. In a sense, it is we then who choose our own stressors. Selye noted that with the absence of stress there is death. Current researchers are also discovering that too little stress may be a major cause of depression or boredom. It is therefore up to us to choose the best stressors and the optimal level of stress. Since we have now begun to understand the definition of stress as well as the causes we now ask ourselves 2006-07-22T13:43:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Learning-how-to-Handle-Stress-30466.aspx Can Economics Really be Considered a Science? This is a question that has been debated for decades. Why do we describe economics as a ‘science’ when it is the study of human behavior, why not class it within the arts or humanities? Economists argue that they analyze problems such as developing human behavior theories and test them against the facts using a scientific approach. Economics studies the three basic problems of daily living, what goods and services to produce, how to produce them, and who to produce them for. The subject matter of economics is human behavior in the production, exchange and use of goods and services. Societies central economic problem is how to reconcile the conflict between people’s virtually limitless desire for goods and services and the scarcity of resources with which these goods and services can be produced. When the questions what, how, and for whom to produce are answered, economic explains how scarce resources are allocated between competing claims on their use. There are a wide variety of tools that economists use to answer the above questions. The two that are mainly used to analyze economic issues are models and data. A model or theory makes a series of simplifying assumptions from which it deduces how people will behave. Models are frameworks for organizing the way we think about a problem. They concentrate on the essentials and therefore, by cutting out some details of the real world they simplify it. From this, economists can develop an analysis of how the economy works. Data are pieces of evidence about economic behavior. The data or facts interact with the models to help quantify the relationships to which our theoretical models draw attention. Secondly, the data helps to test the models. Economists much check that their models match the facts, just like any careful scientist. These two methods are carried out using a scientific approach, just as a biologist would use models and data to represent how the human body works. Critics argue that people are human beings and you cannot reduce their actions to scientific law. Physicists accept that molecules behave randomly but that it is possible to construct and test theories based on average of systematic behavior. Economists take the same view about people. Actions are never explained based on whim, random differences in behavior tend to cancel out on average if behavior does not show any recurring tendencies 2006-07-22T13:32:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Can-Economics-Really-be-Considered-a-Science-30462.aspx The Hopi Indians and their Religion In the southwestern United States, above northern Arizona, are three mesas. The mesas create the home for the Hopi Indians. The Hopi have a deeply religious, isolated, tribal culture with a unique history. The Hopi stress group cooperation. The tribe is organized around a clan system. In a clan system, all the members consider themselves relatives. The clans form a social glue that has held the Hopi villages together. Clan membership provides a singular Hopi identity. The Hopi have a highly developed belief system which contains many gods and spirits. Ceremonies, rituals, dances, songs, and prayers are celebrated in year-round. The Hopi believed they were led to the arid southwestern region of America by their creator, because he knew they had the power to evoke rain with power and prayer. Consequently, the Hopi are connected to their land, its agricultural cycles and the constant quest for rainfall, in a religious way. The religious center of the community is the kiva, which is an underground room with a ladder protruding above the roof. The kiva is very important for several reasons. From the kiva, a connection is made with the center of the earth. Also, the kiva is symbolic for the emergence to this world. The room would represent the underworld and the ladder would represent the way to the upper world. In fact, a room is kept in the house to store ceremonial objects. A sacred ear of corn protects the room and symbolizes the ancestry of the family members. Kachinas are also a focal point of the religion. For a Hopi, they signify spirits of ancestors, dieties of the natural world, or intermediaries between man and gods. The Hopi believe that they are the earth's caretakers, and with the successful performance of their ceremonial cycle, the world will remain in balance, the gods will be happy and rain will come. Because they think of their crops as gifts, the Hopi Indians live in harmony with the environment. Art is also used for ritualistic purposes. Men's loincloths were painted and decorated with tassels to symbolize falling rain. Men also wore elaborate costumes that include special headdresses, masks, and body paints during ritual ceremonies and dances. The Hopi follow a seasonal sense of time. Depending on the season, different preparations were used for collecting the rain. Droughts required the Hopis 2006-07-22T13:04:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Hopi-Indians-and-their-Religion-30454.aspx Women in Post Modern Society During the 1960s and 1970s movements emerged such as second wave feminism, civil rights and gay “liberation” whose previously silenced and marginalized voices suggested that the white male was no longer the only hero of the story. These voices variously and collectively claimed the right to speak in their own name and attempted to foster a sense of group “identity” as a way of resisting the systematic oppression that was experienced by each group in different ways. At the same time post modernist theories were also gaining currency. Patricia Waugh (1989:307) has described postmodernism as a “mood expressed theoretically across a wide range of discourses involving a collapse of grand narratives” and this “mood” incorporates the post structuralism notion of the death of the “subject”. My argument in this paper will be that while postmodernist theories were once useful positions to challenge patriarchal, heterosexist, racist society they have become double edged swords for the marginalized and disenfranchised groups who still need to articulate themselves through the now debated “identity politics”. Theorists such as Elizabeth Wheeler (1991:6) have pointed out the irony that just as female and/or non-white subjects began to make themselves heard, the white male declared the death of the subject. The fetish of the textual beckoned in an age where white intellectuals were threatened with the disposition of their words. The central postmodern project is the end of dualism. This challenge to dualism was a feminist project before it was a postmodern one and part of my discussion will be an elaboration of what I believe to be the more sinister implications for women regarding the end of dualism as it is articulated in postmodern epistemological theory, (especially its challenge to the epistemological foundations of feminist theory.) I will be arguing that postmodernism absolutely supports the status quo, which, in our culture is that of consumerism and commodifation. I will also be arguing that postmodernism, whilst claiming to have no stake in its own hegemony (like queer theory) does extreme ‘violence’ to identity politics and only totally reinforces the hegemonic position of white males in our culture. My contention throughout this paper will be that post modernism’s logical outcome can only be a political vacuum where “meaning” is destabilized, commodity fetishism is the only “verity” and organized opposition an absurdity in a culture without a “meaningful” language. I 2006-07-22T12:51:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-in-Post-Modern-Society-30447.aspx Definition of an American It is not too complicated to understand what an American is. It seems to have more depth to it than one would think, but it is actually not that hard to understand. In Mary Rowlandson her family was killed and she only had her little baby left. People ran in her house and did this. Her house was put on fire and she was taken hostage. American Indians did this. Now, just because they are American and in America this is not the only thing that makes them American. They carried firearms, anger, sadness, hate, love, confusion, uncertainty, and courage. There is also so much more to them. People do things in life sometimes, when they don’t want to or when it is just necessary for their survival. In America, that’s what is going on. Since the beginning of time, Americans have always wanted to be the best at anything. Americans want power, fame and money. Whatever they must do to flourish and flourish richly, they will do. In having power, an American will be ruthless, because they feel they have to. It is what society has shown over time. They keep their faith in God, but sometimes we (Americans) lose that faith when our prayers of hardship don’t happen. Even though we know we shouldn’t, sometimes it just gets too hard. But, Americans also care very much about others. When things get a little hard out there, like with Mary Rowlandson, you just want to give up on life. As Americans, we seem to think we have it hard, at least some do. When in fact, we live in the greatest country in the world. I think knowing that separates us from any other country on earth. Americans get an ego. I think that the ego is something that is just instilled in us. We reach a certain age and begin to realize what the world is about. This changes us. Society shapes us in a way that we almost have no control over. Being an American is a beautiful thing. It really does seem a lot harder than it is. Americans want to be accepted, by family, friends, teachers and so on. Americans want 2006-07-18T19:11:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Definition-of-an-American-30370.aspx Discussing Waterlily, Marriage, and Dakota Life In modern Euro-American culture, if a man were to simply mention the idea of buying a wife he would face certain ridicule and would be considered sexist. Wife buying is not a ‘pc’ option in today’s society as it stands in direct opposition to the mainstream idea of women’s liberation and independence. That is not to say that it doesn’t happen (remember the show “Who wants marry a Millionaire?”) it is just to say that it is not overtly accepted. Waterlily, by Ella Cara Deloria, details the religious and cultural rituals of a Dakota woman in the nineteenth century. In the novel the protagonist, Waterlily, faces the prospect of being ‘purchased’ for marriage. If one applies the mainstream world-view to this situation, it suggests that the Dakota culture may have been oppressive to women. However, although often forgotten, the mainstream Euro-American world-view is not the only one that exists. “The ultimate aim of Dakota life, stripped of accessories, was quite simple; one must obey kinship rules; one must be a good relative. No Dakota who has participated in that life will dispute that. In the last analysis every other consideration was secondary – property, personal ambition, glory, good times, life itself. Without that aim and the constant struggle to attain it, the people would no longer be Dakotas in truth. They would no longer even be human. To be a good Dakota, then was to be humanized, civilized. And to be civilized was to keep the rules imposed by kinship for achieving civility, good manners, and a sense of responsibility toward every individual dealt with. Thus only was it possible to live communally with success; that is to say, with a minimum of friction and a maximum of good will” (Deloria, Waterlily x) In the case of Waterlily’s marriage, of which she agreed to be purchased, the Dakota world-view sees her decision as very honorable. Her choice demonstrated that “her people had taught her the most important of lessons, the one regarding her duties toward her relatives.” (Waterlily 163) In order for the mainstream to understand how her decision can be considered honorable, it is necessary to better understand the role of the woman in Dakota life. As shown by Deloria’s female characters, the way a Dakota woman achieves honor 2006-07-18T19:10:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discussing-Waterlily,-Marriage,-and-Dakota-Life-30369.aspx Efficiency of Perfectly Competitive Economies When we talk about perfect competition we mean a market structure that leave firms in a unique brand of competition. In fact a firm does not actually compete under perfect competition, it reacts to the market conditions, taking price and other market factors as beyond its control. A market is a perfect competition if it meets four basic criteria. The product of all sellers must be identical. All participants in the market, buyers, sellers, must be small relative to the entire market. As a result there should be many firms and buyers in the market. There are no barriers to entry or exit to the market. Firms can enter and leave as they wish. Fourthly market participants have perfect knowledge of and access to technology and prices. When a firm fulfils these criteria it can then be categorised as a price taker. Those firms who are unconcerned about there competitors, because there is nothing they can do to influence there own behaviour, that of their rivals or the final market outcome. As shown in Fig 1 the price takers demand curve is perfectly horizontal. At the market price Pm the firm can sell as much as it wants of a specific product. The firm has no incentive to lower prices as it can sell all it wants at the market price. Furthermore the firm as no ability to raise price as potential customers would buy the same product elsewhere. The firm there for has no alternative but to sell at Pm , at which it face an infinite price elasticity of demand. The question asks what will happen in the long run when price exceeds short run average cost. We must first determine the objective of the firm, - profit maximisation. Any typical firm will set production where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. A perfectly competitive firm however, taking into account the relationship between marginal revenue and price will achieve profit maximisation by setting output where marginal cost equals price. The profit maximising firm in perfect competition will produce where P=MC We can see the firms production condition by showing marginal cost, average cost and variable costs curves on the firms demand curve. As depicted in Figure 2. The figure uses short run cost curves as production decisions occur in the short term. It is important to realise that firms adjust differently 2006-07-18T13:20:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Efficiency-of-Perfectly-Competitive-Economies-30363.aspx Modern Economic History of Sweden Sweden is one of the northernmost countries in the world, lying farthest from the equator with the Arctic Circle crossing its northern regions. With a total area of roughly 450,000 square kilometers, Sweden is one of the largest countries in Western Europe. Its population density is relatively low; however, it had a population of just over 8.8 million in 1998. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, traditionally neutral, since early 19th century. Norway, formerly united with Sweden, became independent in 1905. Sweden adopted parliamentary government in 1921. Since World War II, Sweden has experienced a long period of economic progress based in the development of its resources (iron ore, timber, and hydroelectric energy) with major reliance on a market economy and participation in foreign trade. Sweden has a mixed economy in which private and state-owned enterprises exist side by side. This “Swedish model”, a concept that came about in the late 1930s, refers to the way Sweden fostered prosperity by avoiding the pitfalls of both communism and capitalism. Since 1932, Sweden’s socialist government has steered “the middle way” by allowing the private and public sectors to develop together. This was very successful for many years. An essential factor was the cooperation of the three main players in the economy: government, labor, and business. Unlike other socialist nations, Sweden’s government did not nationalize important industries. The public sector provides essential services, such as telecommunications, postal service, and energy. It is also responsible for health care, education, and social welfare. Swedish economy has changed during the periods of 1960s, 1970s 1980s, 1990s and recently. This topic will emphasize that most economies of Sweden experienced difficulty during these times. 1960s During the 1960s, the growth of the real GDP in Sweden was 5.3 percent per annum, among the highest growth rates in Europe. At the late 1960s, the Social Democracy began to advocate an event greater emphasis on equality, industrial democracy, and social control of investment. The social justice ideal, for which the slogan Jamlikhet appeared in the late 1960’s contains the belief that: “All individual have an equal right to a rich and evolving life…(meaning)… security, freedom, happiness, the right to cultural opportunities, employment, and influence in the community. This (means) an approach to equalization of income. (It calls for reforms) directed against the privileged for the advantage of the underprivileged and the bettering of their conditions 2006-07-18T13:16:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modern-Economic-History-of-Sweden-30361.aspx Implications of Canada's Mixed Economy Although the trend followed by most nations nowadays tend to favor mixed economies, the question about planning versus free market still resurfaces every now and then. Throughout history, people have established different types of economic systems that best represent the cultural and social values of the society as a whole. By definition, an effective economic system is believed to be the kind of system that will meet the entire society’s needs and wants. It is also the system that will solve many of the nation’s economic problems. In Canada, years after the free trade agreement with United States and Mexico has been signed, non-conformists and naysayers continue to question the effectiveness and ramifications of the agreement. Whether a more socialist society or a more capitalist point of view leads Canada to economic prosperity, the question whether these systems corresponds to the expected function of an effective economic system lies uncertain considering the fact that economists argue that it is still too early to make accurate economic analysis of Canada’s economic system. However, judging from Canada’s present economic condition, it could be proven that Canada is better off having a mixed economy rather than being either one of the two systems. In fact, looking at the key characteristics of both systems can substantiate this advantage for Canada. As generally known, planning is a key characteristic of a socialist system. Government planning is the principal concept believed by followers of socialism. In a socialist economy, the government regulates most of trade and businesses. This means that government ownership is widespread and that an individual has little to say about the direction of the economy. Socialists also believed that there should be no extremes or inequalities of wealth or poverty and of power and influence. They are confident that through government planning, these extremes in social status could be minimized. They wanted the government to make economic decisions and also to control the basic resources of the country. They also argued that poverty was brought about by capitalism by allowing wealthy individuals to dominate much of the resources making it possible for them to become more prosperous than the other members of the society. In socialist societies, the government owns most of the services such as transportation, airlines, telephone services and others. The government also provides education, health care and public housing. Although they own major industries, some private 2006-07-18T13:10:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Implications-of-Canada-s-Mixed-Economy-30357.aspx Political Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes was one of the most influential political philosophers of all time, providing both support and justification of government. During his lifetime there was considerable political turmoil between the King and the Parliament, whereby Hobbes wrote in support of the King and the concept of absolute sovereignty. What is particularly interesting about Hobbes’s writings is that he was the first philosopher to use a scientific approach in an attempt to understand human behavior. Supported particularly by the notion of mechanic materialism, the idea that anything can be reduced to material bodies in motion. Through his most highly regarded work Leviathan, Hobbes explores human nature and provides rationale for the need of government. In the absence of government, there can be no possibility of society and thus civilized life ceases to exist as man is said to be in a state of nature. Such a state is akin to that of war, where a man acts solely in the pursuit of self-interest regardless of the detriment he may be causing to others. Thus, Hobbes proposed that man in the interest of self-protection would use reason and enter into covenant, in turn, creating a commonwealth based upon a social contract. Under such circumstances with authority residing in an absolute sovereign the condition for morality is present. The basis for Hobbes’s conception of the state of nature resides in his pessimistic views regarding the nature of man. That is to say, Hobbes believed human nature was completely egoistic and, ultimately, man lacked compassion or regard for fellow human beings. As one is devoid of concern for anyone else, each individual is solely interested in attaining what he or she desires and is primarily driven by competition, diffidence, and glory. In achieving the ends to one’s happiness, one must use his or her power through engaging in intense competition for limited resources. It must be noted that Hobbes believed that in the state of nature man was essentially equal in terms of power, in that, every individual had the capacity to kill. Under such circumstances, without any sort of organization or central governing power, man is “in that condition which is called war; and such a war, as is of every man, against every man” (109). This concept is further supported in one’s ability to 2006-07-18T12:59:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Political-Philosophy-of-Thomas-Hobbes-30350.aspx Prospects of a Jobless Future This article describes what jobs means to the economy and the society. The article explains how the jobs influence the economy and the society and how people lose their jobs to technology driven jobs. The article states that technology provides satisfying jobs for only a few people. It describes how blue-collar workers lose their jobs because of automation, the people who lose their jobs to the technology they developed. Also what Aronowitz said “But there’s no way we can see that other sectors will open up and produce an equal number of jobs compared to those being destroyed.” The flaw I found in this article was the elimination of support staff in universities. Professors have teaching assistants who help them with teaching. Also the fact about technology taking over the jobs of people who 2006-07-17T23:03:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Prospects-of-a-Jobless-Future-30329.aspx Cultural Examination of the Filipinos Southeast Asia is the location of a small country called the Philippines. Formally, Republic of the Philippines, the archipelago consists of roughly 7,100 islands that are located in the southwest Pacific Ocean just Southeast of China. Natives of the country are called Filipinos. The term formerly originated when lowland Christian Spaniards, called indios, began referring to themselves as “Filipinos” (Dolan 76). The ethnic background of a modern day Filipino is as complex as a typical American’s; it is a combination of numerous cultures. So the term “Filipino” means little more than does the term “American” (Bullen 36). The first known settlers on the islands were the Negritos, the aboriginal Filipinos, who arrived about 30,000 years ago (Guillermo 2). Since then, many different types of people have continuously inhabited the islands such as Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Japanese, Spanish, as well as American for over 25,000 years (Levinson 153). Therefore, through centuries of interracial mating, the modern Filipino has become a unique blend of various cultures, resulting in a diverse population. The Land: Pre-History of the Philippine Archipelago Around 65 million years ago, scientists believe that the Philippines and the island of Borneo were one landmass that was thrown up by volcanic eruptions in the ocean bed (Bullen 36). The eruptions were one of many processes of Plate Tectonics, which refers to changes in the configuration of Earth’s crust as a result of internal forces (Christopherson 323). In time, the islands detached from each other, becoming unoccupied territory for inviting settlers. However, during that time, the human species was still in the process of evolution, so the land was settled by tenants other than human. According to Jared Diamond, the origin of human history began in central Africa about 7 million years ago. Humans were confined in the continent for the next 5 million years (36). Homo erectus was the first human ancestor to spread beyond the continent of Africa toward the Southeast Asian region about 1 million years ago. After detaching from the landmass, the archipelago became its own isolated and independent country (Diamond 37). The Land: Facts on the Philippines Officially called Republic of the Philippines, this small island country in Southeast Asia is an archipelago consisting of some 7,100 islands and islets lying about 2006-07-17T23:00:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cultural-Examination-of-the-Filipinos-30327.aspx Psychological Debate over Nature Vs. Nurture One of the big debates that occupies a lot of many people's time is the Nature/Nurture controversy. It is also sometimes known as the genetic/environmental controversy. The Nature vs. Nurture controversy is the argument between whether inherited genes or the environment influences and effects our personality, development, behavior, intelligence and ability. Some people believe that it is only genes that effect our ways of life, others believe that it is the environment plays a major role, and some believe that both of these influence us. Either way researchers have been struggling for years, maybe even centuries, trying to decide whether our personalities are born or made. There are three types of gene/environment relations. The first one is called a passive correlation. It is to be explained as, for example, if a musical ability was genetic, and a child was passed a musical ability trait, than the child would most likely have musically inclined parents. Their parents then would provide them with the genes and environment to promote the development of that ability. The second one is called evocative. This happens when genetically distinct people evoke different reactions from peers and parents and others. And the third association is called an active correlation. This is when people actively select experiences that fit with their genetically influenced preferences. If we take a baby human, and a baby monkey and give them both the best environment that we can imagine, the child will be radically different from the monkey and the differences will be almost totally caused by genetic differences. At the extreme, the proponents of the Nature side of the controversy would have us believe that the differences in human behavior are like the difference between human behavior and monkey behavior, just less extremely. Similarly, if we take identical twins, and give one the best environment possible, and put the other one in closet for eighteen years the differences will be profound, and caused totally by environmental differences between the two children. At the extreme the proponents of the Nurture side of the controversy would have us believe that the differences in human behavior are like the differences in the twin's behavior. Believers in the Nature side of the argument tell you that split-twin studies are wrought with misinformation and bias. Twins who volunteer for that sort of research are perhaps more likely to 2006-07-17T22:53:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Debate-over-Nature-Vs_-Nurture-30324.aspx Practical Assesment of Hypnosis Based on studies using the Stanford scales, researchers with very different theoretical perspectives now agree on several fundamental principles of hypnosis. The first is that a person's ability to respond to hypnosis is remarkably stable during adulthood. In perhaps the most compelling illustration of this tenet, a study showed that when retested, Hilgard's original subjects had roughly the same scores on the Stanford scales as they did 10, 15 or 25 years earlier. Studies have shown that an individual's Stanford score remains as consistent over time as his or her IQ score--if not more so. In addition, evidence indicates that hypnotic responsiveness may have a hereditary component: identical twins are more likely than same-sex fraternal twins to have similar Stanford scores. A person's responsiveness to hypnosis also remains fairly consistent regardless of the characteristics of the hypnotist: the practitioner's gender, age and experience have little or no effect on a subject's ability to be hypnotized. Similarly, the success of hypnosis does not depend on whether a subject is highly motivated or especially willing. A very responsive subject will become hypnotized under a variety of experimental conditions and therapeutic settings, whereas a less susceptible person will not, despite his or her sincere efforts. (Negative attitudes and expectations can, however, interfere with hypnosis.) Several studies have also shown that hypnotizability is unrelated to personality characteristics such as gullibility, hysteria, psychopathology, trust, aggressiveness, submissiveness, imagination or social compliance. The trait has, however, been linked tantalizingly with an individual's ability to become absorbed in activities such as reading, listening to music or daydreaming. Under hypnosis, subjects do not behave as passive automatons but instead are active problem solvers who incorporate their moral and cultural ideas into their behavior while remaining exquisitely responsive to the expectations expressed by the experimenter. Nevertheless, the subject does not experience hypnotically suggested behavior as something that is actively achieved. To the contrary, it is typically deemed as effortless--as something that just happens. People who have been hypnotized often say things like "My hand became heavy and moved down by itself" or "Suddenly I found myself feeling no pain." Many researchers now believe that these types of disconnections are at the heart of hypnosis. In response to suggestion, subjects make movements without conscious intent, fail to detect exceedingly painful stimulation or temporarily forget a familiar fact. Of course, these kinds of things also 2006-07-17T13:25:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Practical-Assesment-of-Hypnosis-30303.aspx Examining Near Death Experiences People have had near death experiences for thousands of years, but they have become more common in the last several years because of the medical technology that can bring more people back to life. (Jaegers 158) A near death experience can be called a NDE for short, but what exactly is an NDE? Jaegers answered that question. She states that NDE’s are visions that people of all ages and races can have. They mostly occur after an accident or traumatic injury patients. The visions consist of a dark tunnel leading to a light with occasional sightings of sparkles. People report seeing different images of people and talking to an individual who has varied from Jesus to Elvis and even Santa Claus. Out-of-body experiences are common too during NDE’s, in some cultures. (Jaegers 159-161) The reader may or may not believe in the afterlife, or maybe the reader just don’t have an opinion on it. Whatever the reader believes, this paper will bring different views and possible explanations to your attention. This paper will also contain a personal conclusion of the question, “Are near death experiences visions of the afterlife?” It will discuss inconsistencies, consistencies, and possible causes along with stories from people who claimed to have been to the afterlife and then returned. As mentioned earlier, people of all different ages, and races, have had NDE’s, as well as people from different cultural backgrounds and languages. They all have similarities, although no two NDE’s have been exactly alike. (Fenwick no page) The culture of the patient came from usually effects what is in their NDE. For example, in Indian cultures it is very rare to hear of out of body experiences or experiences of floating down a tunnel, but instead the patient is being carried by a “messenger,” as several subjects have claimed. Friends and family are not so much involved in an Indian NDE, as in other cultures. (Fenwick no page) NDE’s are not Visions of the Afterlife What culture the subject is from does not affect everything in an NDE, as some things are universal, like the possible causes of NDE’s. Doctors have come up with many possible causes of NDE’s and have found two major possible causes. The first cause is brain stimulation. 2006-07-17T13:17:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examining-Near-Death-Experiences-30299.aspx Analysis of Democratic Capitalism Throughout generations many philosophers have argued about how much the government should be involved in an economy. Countries such as USA, which is extremely capitalist have a huge number of homeless people. Countries such as USSR, which is on the left wing and being a communist country, people has lost the incentive to work bringing the economy down. Countries such as Sweden which is a democratic socialist and in the centre of the economic spectrum, requires a substantial amount to maintain its economy. A government should use Keynesian ideas that way money could be made and people could be looked after. It is true that 2006-07-17T13:16:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Democratic-Capitalism-30298.aspx Comparison Essay of "Guys" and "Men" In a world full of ethnic, racial, and sexual discrimination's, it seems only befitting that we go as far as to draw dividing lines within gender. It has long been disputed that there exist many clearly defined points that set a “guy” apart from a “man”. This subject is often tossed around jokingly, with lines such as “Guys start projects. Men finish them.” This statement places the man in a higher place of professionalism, giving guys no credit for being reliable. A classic contrast between guys and men is that guys are more in touch with their basic instincts (eat, sleep, have fun), where men seem to be more in touch with a sophisticated world (drink fine aged wine, read Crichton, and play golf). Men spend so much time trying to be a better man, guys just do not waste time on such trivial things. Ironically though, it is the man who will always say that he is “just one of the guys”. Although the subject may be viewed from many perspectives, I believe that men are simply guys who have been conditioned to a point that they no longer know who or what they are. Men have been conditioned by what they define as “success”. Success drives a man to be a professional in his field, to wear dress shirts and slacks, to put every ounce of energy within into becoming something greater. No matter how powerful or prestigious a man becomes, he will always strive for more. Manhood is defined by an inability to be content, which masks itself as success. Guys, on the other hand, share a different meaning of the word success. To a guy, success does not come in the form of status or stock figures, success comes in the number of suicide chicken wings he can ingest in a period of time, how far he can lob a football, and most importantly, the strength of his friendships. Guys are happy with enjoying life’s simple pleasures, and are content with the notion of doing absolutely nothing. A defining contrast between men and guys, therefore, is that men will never be as content in life as guys will be, because guys simply don’t care. Men, along with being conditioned by their successes, are easily conditioned by women. A man will go out of his way to open doors for 2006-07-17T13:07:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-Essay-of-Guys-and-Men-30294.aspx The Real Meaning of "Being Happy" Weight training offers many advantages. First and foremost, it strengthens your body, and a stronger body gives you more energy in all areas of your life. It also helps to prevent injuries in your outdoor activities, plus helps to keep your body toned and your bones 2006-07-17T13:06:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Real-Meaning-of-Being-Happy-30293.aspx Essay from Anthropology Examination Archaeology is a similar job to anthropology. Both study the various different cultures through out the world. The major difference is where their information is gathered from. Anthropologist get most of their info from living people and their skeletal remains. Where as an archaeologist finds the artifacts left behind. They gather these artifacts by excavation and are able to tell us a lot about our ancestors. Certain artifacts or sites can tell us all sorts of things such as the type of government, human behavior, how the culture ran itself, social organization, and especially the contact between other groups around the world. All this does not come without its problems. Dig sites (a term used to signify an excavation site) are being destroyed in many ways. Environmental issues, political change, everyday expansion of the human race, thieves searching for buried treasure, and poor excavation are just a few problems that affect an archaeologist job. The Paleolithic era is divided into three periods. The Lower, Middle, and Upper. Much of our advancement from “cavemen” to modern humans happened in the Upper Paleolithic. This portion of time is then separated into 5 groups based on the technology and tools. They are Chatelperronian, Aurignacian, Gravettian, Solutrean, and Magdalenian. Some of the new ideals and beliefs that came out of the Paleolithic time concerned nature. Nature was seen as a wild threat and home of the barbarians and beast. We went from our equality with nature to the Greco-Roman era to the Judeo Christian days and now into science. Some more changes were everyday tools. Such as spears. A simple point would let a fish slide off after stabbing it or the spear would fall out of a running deer. A spear designed with notches similar to today’s fish hooks. The materials that tools were made of also was enhanced. Instead of only stones or wood man began to use bone , ivory, and other natural resources to make a more complex tool box. People also started to move things farther. Migration spread technology faster and established better shelters and hunting techniques. Hunting and gathering use to be the best way to find food. Gathering meant traveling around and collecting roots, berries, grains, etc.. Hunting meant exactly what it is, but it was performed differently. Often hunting was done in groups and with primitive weapons. 2006-07-17T13:01:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-from-Anthropology-Examination-30289.aspx Discussing Sex in Comtemporary Indian Culture I've never had sex in India, the country where I was born and spent most of my first eighteen years. I've had impatient kisses in the shadows of whale-backed ambassador cars, and I've necked in the bucket seats of crowded movie theaters in Hyderabad, the city in southern India where I was born. But that was a long time ago, when I was young and naïve and India was a conservative, closed nation, where "love marriage" was a dirty term and riotous Valentine's Day celebrations were still a generation away. My high school sweetheart and I were the only lovers in our high school of 2,000 students, save for one other couple: her best friend, a busty Telugu rebel named Nirupama, and Samer Khan, her handsome, brooding Muslim with green eyes, an Enfield motorcyle and a pocket knife. So scandalous was their affair in mid-80s Hyderabad, that Nirupama was banished to her grandparents' in neighboring Tamil Nadu so that she might come to her senses. For months her amore rode all night to rendezvous with her for a few hours. When those visits were curtailed, I heard she tried to commit suicide. My girlfriend's family was less traditional: they had lived in Papua New Guinea, where she kissed boys under the mistletoe at "X-mas" time. I, too, was more progressive, born of a mixed marriage, my mother a relatively liberal Syrian American. We would steal quick embraces in her tiny, doorless bedroom, her grandparents constantly peeking in on us. Once we were caught fondling each other on the roof of her apartment complex by a neighbor. He hauled us into his living room, threatening exposure and subsequent censure unless we listened quietly to his diatribe on morals and bowed our heads in shame for the sins we had just committed. When I left India at eighteen to study at Caltech in Pasadena, California, I imagined I had lifted the prudish veil of my native land and could now indulge in guilt-free, sensuous sex with gorgeous blondes on the hot and sinful shores of the West. I was still a naïve virgin after all, and teen pop culture had led me, like all the rest of my classmates, to believe that America was a land of vice and 2006-07-16T21:49:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discussing-Sex-in-Comtemporary-Indian-Culture-30262.aspx Males and Females: Levels of Relationships and Forms A survey was conducted to help understand the level of relationships between male and females. The three levels of human relationships included social, personal, and intimate. Of the men and woman surveyed the ages ranged from 18 years of age to 62 years of age. The questions asked the number of the three types of relationships and what seemed to be the most involved, enjoyed, and most important. As a group, we tried to determine if men or woman had more relationships than the other sex in any type of relationship. On a level of social relationships, a social relationship is people that you know or associate with. For example: co-workers, people you do business with all the time, or distance family members, the answers could not be studied due to the extreme high and low numbers between the two groups. It is known that humans deal with too many people on a daily basis to accurately count social relationships. We did not count this into our survey and later discarded the question. Personal relationships seemed to be the most popular among men and woman. A personal relationship is considered someone you have a close friendship with but no intimacy. A best friend or immediate family member may be considered a personal relationship. It was very clear in the surveys that woman had a larger number of personal relationships than the men. Their numbers almost doubled what the men surveyed. Intimate relationships surveyed very equally between the men and woman. An intimate relationship is being very close to an individual, having physical attraction for one another, having physical touch, strong emotions, and physically close to each other. The men seemed to pull ahead with the number of intimate relationships. Most of the surveys were equal between the two, but half of them had some high numbers. Men scored a higher number on the intimate relationships, they believed to be more involved with personal relationships. The same with the woman, except they thought they were more involved with intimate when they scored a higher number on the personal relationships. This shows an inverse relationship between the two groups. When the survey asked the two groups what relationship do they enjoy the best, the answers completely 2006-07-16T20:41:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Males-and-Females-Levels-of-Relationships-and-Forms-30256.aspx Personal Economic Sacrafice to Better our Environment Humans live in the midst of an ecological community. Although living in cities has caused many of us loose touch with the land and the other species that inhabit it, our actions still effect the environment, thus we should still consider ourselves a part of this community. Just as humans have a set of rules of how to act within their own human community and social sphere so should they have a set of rules on how to behave within the larger ecological community. Rules for our own society are based on morality, concepts of right and wrong, and behaviors that help maintain the safety of individuals living within the society. For the same reasons we should have rules on how to behave within our ecological sphere. It is important to preserve our safety in this sphere, to keep pollution that causes health risks to minimum, and to make sure we our living sustainably by not over using our vital resources. We also have an ethical obligation to the species with which we share our planet. They have the right to exist on this planet. That our sense of justice does not extend to them, that we do not recognize they have rights and that there are moral ways to treat them, proves that we are so focused on our own species, we do not realize we live in a larger community that we should respect. Our sense of justice should expand to include this larger community. I am not suggesting they be included in our judicial courts as member of our societies, for obviously we live in different societies. But we do live in the same community, and there should be rules that enforce just behavior towards that community and punishments for defecting from these rules. Just behavior towards them means protection of the community and its stability. The other species of this planet are immensely valuable to us and we should work to conserve them and their habitats. Conservation will never be truly be sucessful unless we realize the economic value of other species and the services they provide as well as realize that their value goes deeper then economics. Our economy relies on natural capital. Natural capital is all the resources of this earth. These include not only the obvious physical resources such as minerals, soil, water, but also the living 2006-07-13T19:16:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Personal-Economic-Sacrafice-to-Better-our-Environment-30240.aspx Psychological Explanations of Dreaming In general, “The dream reveals the reality which conception lags behind.” Dreams have been a mystery to us since Adam first breathed life. With the stuff of legends, myths and fairy tales, dreams have always fascinated mankind. Dreams are private mental experiences, which may be described as an alteration in consciousness in which remembered images and fantasies are temporarily confused with external reality. It is a communication of the mind, body, and spirit in a symbolic communicative environmental “state-of-being.” Investigators do not yet understand why we dream at all, much less why they dream what they dream. However modern methods of study have answered many great questions about dreaming. In the dream state, we have an opportunity to access our private unconscious and the collective conscious. Private unconscious materials are those things that are “exclusively ours.” For example, the experiences and issues that features in our dreams. Jung thought that dreams were generally compensatory in nature. They try to deal with errors, deviations, one-sidedness and other shortcomings in our lives and personality. Dreams that arise out of our private unconscious are generally valuable and relevant to the current time. (If a dream brings up a past experience, it must be because old issues are unresolved.) Basics About Dreaming 4 When we are dreaming and the dream is about something from our daily life, then that dream comes from our private or personal unconscious. The dream may be ego based and is very important. This type of a dream will increase our awareness and enable us to see some issue, problem, or a personal characteristic in a new, more fulfilling and productive way. For instance, in our society, dreams can be an excuse to say something intimate to someone. It may be a tentative way to see if a deeper relationship is possible, as in “I had a very nice dream about you last night.” People do not want to take as much personal responsibility for their dreams as they do with most of their other thoughts. It then produces a platform to say whatever nonsense, lie, or fantasy someone might have on his or her mind, because there’s no way to determine if the claim is true or not. Conscious thoughts are those that we can control and can be quite aware of. The word “consciousness” can be substituted with the word “ awareness.” 2006-07-13T15:29:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Explanations-of-Dreaming-30221.aspx Effects of Warfare on the Formation of the Modern State The definition of a modern state is debatable, but for the purpose of this essay the definition ‘a distinct form of public power, separate from both ruler and ruled and forming the political authority within certain defined boundaries’, (Chapter 2, Unit 1, p 73) appears appropriate. A modern state has four main features: fixed territorial boundaries, a monopoly on force and the means of coercion, impersonal and sovereign political order and the legitimacy to represent the needs and interests of its citizens. This form of state was to become a common feature of the entire global system. This essay will outline the main historical forces which have contributed to the development of the modern state; warfare, the growth of capitalism, and the process of democratization. The historical period covered is from the seventeenth century, following the English Civil War (1640-88) and the French Revolution (1789). Warfare would appear to be central to the development of the modern state. Competition among states was largely driven by insecurity and vast amounts of capital were needed to enable a state to be secure. A state would need to be prepared to go to war to secure its territorial boundaries. In turn neighboring states, feeling insecure at their neighbor’s war preparation, would also need to arm. A vicious circle of insecurity referred to as the ‘security dilemma’ (ibid p95). Another reason for states to maintain fully equipped armies was the leverage this would possibly give them in negotiations with other states. The ability of a state to secure and/or extend its boundaries was dependant upon the resources available and its ability to extract these resources from the citizens of that state, whether it be manpower, weaponry, foodstuffs or finance. As the state got larger the needs for resources became greater and boundaries needed to be extended in order to increase resources. However, few of the states subjects were willing to suffer the loss of life or resources without gaining some acknowledgement in exchange and there were many conflicts and rebellions against the demands which were made upon them. Accordingly the state built ‘administrative, bureaucratic and coercive structures’ (ibid p95) to control and co-ordinate their population. This administrative infrastructure was a major development of the modern 2006-07-13T12:57:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Warfare-on-the-Formation-of-the-Modern-State-30204.aspx Analysis of Culture and Foods We have seen that the Mikado’s food was cooked every day in new pots and served up in new dishes; both pots and dishes were of common clay, in order that they might be broken or laid aside after they had been once used. They were generally broken, for it was believed that if any one else ate his food out of these sacred dishes, his mouth and throat would become swollen and inflamed. The same ill effect was thought to be experienced by any one who should wear the Mikado’s clothes without his leave; he would have swellings and pains all over his body. In Fiji there is a special name (kana lama) for the disease supposed to be caused by eating out of a chief’s dishes or wearing his clothes. “The throat and body swell, and the impious person dies. I had a fine mat given to me by a man who durst not use it because Thakombau’s eldest son had sat upon it. There was always a family or clan of commoners who were exempt from this danger. I was talking about this once to Thakombau. ‘Oh yes,’ said he. ‘Here, So-and-so! come and scratch my back.’ The man scratched; he was one of those who could do it with impunity.” The name of the men thus highly privileged was Na nduka ni, or the dirt of the chief. In the evil effects thus supposed to follow upon the use of the vessels or clothes of the Mikado and a Fijian chief we see that other side of the god-man’s character to which attention has been already called. The divine person is a source of danger as well as of blessing; he must not only be guarded, he must also be guarded against. His sacred organism, so delicate that a touch may disorder it, is also, as it were, electrically charged with a powerful magical or spiritual force which may discharge itself with fatal effect on whatever comes in contact with it. Accordingly the isolation of the man-god is quite as necessary for the safety of others as for his own. His magical virtue is in the strictest sense of the word contagious: his divinity is a fire, which, under proper restraints, confers endless blessings, but, if rashly touched or allowed to break bounds, burns and destroys 2006-07-10T18:39:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Culture-and-Foods-30199.aspx Economic Thought of Karl Marx Karl Marx was born in Frier, Germany, in 1818. Karl Marx is the person who created the idea of Communism. He did many things to help Communism during his life. To start it off, in January 1846, he set up a Communist Correspondence Committee to link together all of the socialist leaders that were living in 2006-07-10T18:24:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Thought-of-Karl-Marx-30195.aspx Privitization Jeopordizing Canadian Health Care Public health care, the crown jewel of social programs, has worked extremely well for Canadians. Yet today, Ontario is witnessing piecemeal privatization in health care. The introduction of private-sector business strategies and management ideologies into the public health care system, the restructuring and rationing of publicly delivered services and the cost shifting from the public purse to the individual households has Ontario’s health care system in jeopardy. The cost shifting of health care from the public purse to the individual is a threat to Ontario’s Health Care. It defeats Ontario’s initial design in health care. The Canadian federal government agreed to provide additional financing to the provinces to handle the health care system. Critics question whether the infusion of another $4 billion per year into health care is really what the system needs, however. Not all problems with the system result from inadequate or reduced funding. Policymakers, the Harris government, should determine whether all types of care should be covered regardless of their nature, or whether Ontario citizens should expect a basic level of services. Experts recommend some type of tax-assisted savings plan to help Ontario save for future health care cost increases. Also, government spending continues to soar and the Harris government intends to change the health care message, to pave the way for more privatization and a two-tier system. The citizens of Ontario should not be anxiety about saving for future health care costs. If the Provincial government were able to handle and plan Health Care, after the adequate Federal funding, in Ontario current problems would have never come about. The restructuring and rationing of publicly delivered services has also diminished the Health care system. Recently, many hospitals have been closed down, and emergency rooms, now more than ever, are over-crowded and unproductive. This downsizing of Health care workers is also directly linked to the overspending of the Harris government. The study done by the CCPA outlines the massive costs of the Harris government's mismanagement of the health care system. Evidence in the report shows the massive sums of money spent on severance packages and termination pay to help shed 25,000 health care workers in Ontario. These job cuts could have been avoided if the Harris government had a virtuous plan to benefit the citizens it governed. A 2006-07-10T18:03:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Privitization-Jeopordizing-Canadian-Health-Care-30185.aspx Case Study of Ethics in Client Counseling This is about an ethical issue in counseling. It is a counselor possibly having a problem with a client that is abuse in relationships, specifically spousal. The counselor had an abusive father, which makes him very sensitive to this type of situation. The client of course is approximately the same age as the counselor, grew up similar in circumstances, but different outcomes. The questions at hand are somewhat a dilemma to the counselor. Should he continue with the client even after some of the things the initial meeting came up with? Should the counselor remove himself from this situation due to the feelings he has about his father? Can the counselors own experiences help the client? Will the counselor truly be able to keep his feelings out of the counseling sessions and use his experiences as his guide? Does he already preconceive that the client is not willing to change his behavior? All of these questions are legitimate and controversial to the situation. So, what does the counselor do and how will he go about doing the decision. American boys are being so "emotionally uneducated by everyone from parents and peers to the entertainment industry, say some psychologists.” (APA Monitor; VOL 30 , NR 7 July/August 1999 This is what we have grown up with for many years in the United States, it has lead to an increase of domestic violence, just as our case states has happened. This mis-education is a decision maker for each individual growing up to decide on how he plans to use it. As for the counselor, he became educated and learns a better way than what he was taught at a young age. The client went from high school straight to work with the type of men that he wanted to be like, muscular. He educated himself with reinforced behavior of his earlier years of education. American workers are working harder and longer than they have in the past two decades just to maintain their standard of living. The predictable result, according to experts who took part in the recent "Work, stress and health '99" conference in Baltimore is a workforce more at risk than ever for psychological, physical and behavioral health problems. "It certainly has made for social and family disruptions," said Linda Rosenstock, MD, the director of the National Institute for Occupational 2006-07-10T13:22:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Case-Study-of-Ethics-in-Client-Counseling-30154.aspx Can Old Family Structures Meet New Economic Challenges In order for African-Americans to be structurally empowered to meet the challenges of the 21st century, one’s family must be properly set in such a way that their education, economic, and socialization combined will guide them in the direction of success, not only physically and mentally, but also spiritually. Envision with me for a moment, a family with God as head of the household, then the father, mother, and children. The father and mother both have earned a degree from a University and have well paying jobs. The children are encouraged to stay in school so they too one day will be successful. Following the leadership of the Holy Spirit they attend church every Sunday and practice living by the laws of God and the land. The parents do not influence their children with drugs or alcohol, but rather instill morals and values for them to live a healthy life. This ideal family may be viewed as being structurally equipped with the tools to prosper mentally, physically, and spiritually in the 21st century. On the other hand, let us take a look at a family headed by a single mother with no college education and living on welfare. She too tries to keep her children in line and train them up in the way they should go. Is this family also empowered to meet the challenges of the 21st century? Some African-American families are prepared, but on the contrary many are not. Many African-American households lack a father or father figure in the home and have no set rules or standards to follow. Although some households have fathers they may not be good role models. They may often influence their children by drinking, smoking, using drugs, and being abusive to the mother. According to the Journal of Negro Education there are high rates of dysfunctional and pathological behavior found among black men. A recent study done by the Sentencing Project on Criminal Injustice proved that sixty-two percent of young black men are doing time in jail. Many of them have children, but this is a negative example for the child, therefore, the father cannot teach them the right path to follow. When the mother heads the household she must go to work, cook, clean, and struggle to instill 2006-07-09T14:42:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Can-Old-Family-Structures-Meet-New-Economic-Challenges-30134.aspx Understanding People with Tourettes Syndrome Can you imagine sitting in class everyday of your life worrying about whether or not you were going to “explode” with noises and movements that you cannot control. A person with Tourrette’s Syndrome (TS) experiences this everyday of their life. Trying to control yourself from constant twitching of your mouth, jerking your head or breaking out yelling seems so easy to a person without TS. It’s just common self-control, but to a person with TS it can be the most difficult thing to do in a day. Tourettes syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations known as “tics”. TS is three times more likely to be found in boys than girls. Tourette’s is passed through genes and a parent with TS has a 50% chance of passing it to his or her child. This exceptionality is hereditary and it’s inevitable but luckily 1/3 of those whom inherit this gene will not experience any symptoms of this disorder in their life. It is a rare disorder, which is named after a French physician, Georges Gilles de la Tourette (1857-1904), who first described it in 1885. There are many involuntary movements and vocalizations (also known as “tics”) that might occur to a person with TS. Some tics include throat clearing, grunting, yelling or screaming, sniffing, barking, snorting, coughing, spitting, squeaking, humming or yelling of obscenities. Behavioral problems that might occur are temper tantrums, stealing, talking back, relentless teasing of siblings, short tempered, blaming, argumentative and angry. In a class room a student with Tourettes might be difficult to teach because of outbursts that disrupt the class or because the student needs a lot of supervision to help them stay on task, be organized, and finishing things that him/her started. Also a student with this disorder has a difficult time listening and concentrating on one thing too long. Many children had been misdiagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder) rather than Tourettes because the symptoms are so close and for those who have been misdiagnosed the medication for ADD made their tics worse. The social and emotional problems that often accompany TS can be more distressing for the person than the physical symptoms. Many children go undiagnosed for years, and some people might see them as having psychological or emotional problem. Or others might think they are 2006-07-09T14:28:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understanding-People-with-Tourettes-Syndrome-30128.aspx Effectiveness of Schizophrenia Treatment The term Schizophrenia comes from the Greek; Schiz meaning split and Phren meaning mind. It was coined by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bieuler who, in 1911, used it to describe patients who he found to have a mind split from reality. Symptoms of Schizophrenia are generally divided into positive and negative. The former occur in all cases of Schizophrenia and can be thought of as ‘added’ to the individuals behavior: delusions, hallucinations and thought disorders. The latter occur in only some cases and can be thought of as characteristics ‘taken away’ from the individual. These include social withdrawal, flatness of arrest and cognitive decline. According to the DSM 4 criteria, in order to be diagnosed as schizophrenic, two or more or the following symptoms must be displayed for more than six months: Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, negative symptoms. Schizophrenia is the most common of the major mental illnesses and affects around 1% of the population worldwide. In this essay I shall assess the effectiveness of the most commonly used medical treatments. These are the use of narcoleptic drugs and I shall place a particular emphasis on the more recently developed drugs which have aimed to reduce its side effects. I shall then outline and evaluate the use of talking therapies in the treatment of Schizophrenia, focusing on Individual therapy, family therapy and cognitive behavioral methods. Throughout the essay I shall take a relapse to mean the following: ‘Readmission to in-patient care as a result of a fresh episode of schizophrenia or Worsening of psychotic symptoms’ (Scottish Schizophrenia research group, 1992). The first drug used to treat Schizophrenia (in 1952) was Chlorpromazine, a tranquillizer that reduces psychotic properties. Soon after this several other similar drugs were developed. While they were relatively successful in treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and preventing relapse, they had several serious limitations. They require continued use to reduce likelihood of relapse and approximately 20% of patients show no improvement when using them (Kane et al, 1988). They also have major side effects including Tardive Dyskinesia, Askathisia (which can be fatal), tightening of muscles in a manner similar to Parkinsons, weight gain, blurred vision and decreased motivation. In response to these problems, several drugs have been more recently developed. In the !970’s Clozapine 2006-07-09T13:51:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effectiveness-of-Schizophrenia-Treatment-30114.aspx The Effects of Placing Rent Controls in Toronto In a just society, the ruling authority must decide what is right when allocating wealth to its individual citizens. The same ruling authority does this by intervening with the inner workings of a marketplace to uphold its fundamental values and ideals. The aim of government intervention is to create a just society that will reflect the people’s values. Governing bodies do this by establishing laws that enforce fairness or ‘equity’. The Ontario government passed the Rent Control Act in 1975. The law levels the playing field between landlords and tenants. New units are exempt from controls for their first five years after which the controls are put into place. The controls put a ceiling on annual rent increases. Under current law, a landlord may only increase a tenants’ rent by 2% plus inflation.1 As with all other markets, the housing market is based on supply and demand. If the nature of the market were allowed to take its course, then the price of housing would become unaffordable for most citizens. An unfair situation would be created where power and money would be disproportionately appropriated to land owners. Rent control laws were established by previous governments to protect society and its people from inflated and uncontrollable housing costs. The Harris government now wants to repeal these laws. On June 25 the Minister of Housing, Al Leach, released a policy paper outlining the changes that are to be made to Ontario’s rent laws. Conservative legislators plan to pass the proposed ‘Tenant Protection Act’ in the fall. The omnibus legislation will rescind the Rent Control Act, the Landlord and Tenant Act, the Rental Housing Protection Act, Residents’ Rights Act, the Land Lease Statute Amendment Act, the Vital Services Act.2 The most objectionable change allows the act to lift controls off vacant units. The 3.2 million renters in Ontario are very concerned about the changes.3 The housing ministry will accept written submissions from the public until August 30. Public hearings are also planned in hope that they will ease the transition. However, most people are indignant towards the idea. Changing the rent control laws would be detrimental to society as they threaten citizens’ positive right to affordable housing, harm their mobility rights and increase the gap between the rich and the poor. The proposed ‘Tenant Protection Act’ assaults peoples’ right to affordable housing. If people 2006-07-09T13:27:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Placing-Rent-Controls-in-Toronto-30104.aspx Societies Creation of "Workaholic" Culture The official working week is being reduced to 35 hours a week. In most countries in the world, it is limited to 45 hours a week. The trend during the last century seems to be unequivocal : less work, more play. Yet, what may be true for blue collar workers or state employees – is not necessarily so for white collar members of the liberal professions. It is not rare for these people – lawyers, accountants, consultants, managers, academics – to put in 80 hour weeks. The phenomenon is so widespread and its social consequences so damaging that it acquired the unflattering nickname “workaholism,” a combination of the words "work" and "alcoholism". Family life is disrupted, intellectual horizons narrow, the consequences to the workaholic’s health are severe : fat, lack of exercise, stress take their toll. Classified as "alpha" types, workaholics suffer three times as many heart attacks as their peers. But what are the social and economic roots of this phenomenon ? Put succinctly, it is the result of the blurring borders and differences between work and leisure. The distinction between these two types of time – the one dedicated to labor and the one spent in the pursuit of one’s interests – was so clear for thousands of years that its gradual disappearance is one of the most important and profound social changes in human history. A host of other shifts in the character of the work and domestic environments of humans converged to produce this momentous change. Arguably the most important was the increase in labor mobility and the fluid nature of the very concept of work and the workplace. The transitions from agricultural to industrial, then to the services and now to the information and knowledge societies, each, in turn, increased the mobility of the workforce. A farmer is the least mobile. His means of production are fixed, his produce was mostly consumed locally because of lack of proper refrigeration, preservation and transportation methods. A marginal group of people became nomad-traders. This group exploded in size with the advent of the industrial revolution. True, the bulk of the workforce was still immobile and affixed to the production floor. But raw materials and the finished products traveled long distances to faraway markets. Professional services were needed and the professional manager, the lawyer, the accountant, 2006-07-07T13:47:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Societies-Creation-of-Workaholic-Culture-30099.aspx The "Chemistry" of Love that forms Human Bonds There are two different kinds of “LOVE”, passionate and compassionate. Passionate love is where you are attracted to the person and to the way that they make you feel. Compassionate love is where you love the person for who they are. In the essay “Grandma”, Gerald, the main character, gradually begins to love his great-grandmother after starting out on rough terms. In the essay “Love: the right chemistry” Anastasia Toufexis talks about the chemical aspect of love and why people fall in love. In this paper I am going to compare and contrast the two essays and these two different concepts of love. In the essay, “Grandma” by Gerald Haslam, Gerald a young boy at the time, meets his great-grandmother for the first time when she moves in with his family. She was known as “Grandma” to the family. The relationship between the two does not start off very well. Gerald tries to communicate with her, but she only speaks Spanish to him. Grandma is very bitter because she only wants to live in the country were she grew up, not in the city where Gerald’s home was. Soon Gerald finds himself hiding from Grandma because he is afraid of her until one day she speaks rudely to him in English, “Oh so you want some candy. Go to the store an’ buy some.” When Gerald reacts with bursts of tears, Grandma comforts him with kind words and a pat on the head. This event changed Gerald’s feelings towards his Grandma. They soon became very close as they learned to love each other. One day Grandma fell and broke her hip and soon after died. This was very hard on Gerald but when his family wanted to bury her in the city, he stood up to them and said that she needed to be buried in the country where she wanted to be. In the essay “Love the Right Chemistry”, by Anastasia Toufexis, she talks about the chemical side of love. She states that approximately 4 million years ago man developed the notion of romantic love, when male and female partnerships were formed to help raise their offspring. This was the first evidence of “love”. Anastasia talks about the “4-year-itch”, where after four years of marriage couples tend to breakup. If the couple has another child 2006-07-07T13:34:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Chemistry-of-Love-that-Forms-Human-Bonds-30095.aspx The Effects of Divorce on Children Divorce has many effects on many different people. It is a common misconception that divorce is for the “good” of the children . When in fact divorce takes quite a toll on children of all ages, races, and sex. An average of approximately 36,252 children in Canada are involved in divorces , which is not a very low statistic. As well single – parent families account for 46% of children living n poverty . Divorce affects children educationally psychologically and emotionally. Although divorce can make for a calmer environment in the long run, it can also cause a lot of stress on the adult and child in the beginning . Children have a tendency to blame themselves for the divorce and those who don’t blame either the mother or father for causing their devastation. Males and females have different emotional side effects and it is very hard to determine what type of effects divorce has on them because many studies have conflicting information, some say mates become more aggressive , but others show mates are not affected at all. Studies on females show they become depressed, and distracted . “Problems seen in children of divorce are due to the parents psychological problems” . Out of 60 divorced couples in counseling, one third had adequate mental health, ½ of men and almost ½ of females are moderately disturbed or are incapacitated by a disabling neurosis or addiction i.e.; chronic depression, suicidal tendencies and difficulty controlling rage. 15% of men and 20% of females have severe mental illnesses. Researches have shown that many children from these families have trouble in school and struggle with anger and sorrow . Although some studies show that divorce ahs no effect on children, it will inevitably have some sore of effect, it may not be long term, but it will leave some sort of effect which could be very devastating . Divorce has different effects on children of different ages e.g.: Preschoolers may: >Become clingy >Have an increase in tantrums >Cry more easily >Have regressive behavior.. Thumb sucking, baby talk >Wet the bed more often.. This shows distress, anxiety or anger. >”somatize” or develop a physical complaints about headaches or nausea. School-age Children may: >Have similar signs as preschoolers. >Show anger, worry or sadness. >Act as though 2006-07-07T13:16:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Divorce-on-Children-30086.aspx Psychological Damage of Divorce to Children Since the 1960's the number of children directly touched by divorce has jumped from 485,000 to one million per year. Today about one half of all marriages undertaken will end in divorce. There are predictable and typical reactions that children experience because of their parents divorce. (Divorce, np) Both the short term and long term effects that children face need to be recognized and acknowledged in order to assist a generation full of broken homes in achieving happiness and a sense of closure. It has been conceded that while most children suffer similar effects, not all will be as severely harmed as others. It is no question that divorce harms children. However, the short term effects vary depending on age. Preschoolers aged 3-5 are likely to experience feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiety. Each sex displays emotions differently. Boys at this age tend to be noisier and more disruptive than usual. Their restlessness can cause conflicts in school and often results in disciplinary problems. In contrast, preschool aged girls are concerned with good behavior and keeping things neat. They tend to take on the role as teacher/parent by scolding and lecturing others. Both boys and girls cry more frequently, become openly demanding, and regress to outgrown behaviors such as bed wetting, thumb sucking, needing a security blanket, and experiencing nightmares. (Divorce, np) School aged children aged 6-8 generally have the most difficult time coping with the divorce of parents. This is found to be especially true with boys at this age. Psychologists feel this is directly linked to the fact that most fathers move out when parents divorce. The boys lose their constant male role model while girls retain their role model.(Divorce, np) Children at this age will cry openly and experience sadness. Because they feel rejected by the departing parent, it is common for both sexes to have a loss of self-esteem and feel as though they are unlovable. Concentration becomes extremely difficult and will usually surface when it comes to school work. School aged children 9-12 show their sadness through anger and hostility towards their parents. Although they are angry, they may try to hide their feelings if one parent openly hates the other. Because this group is becoming emotionally mature, 2006-07-05T23:58:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Damage-of-Divorce-to-Children-30060.aspx Social Definition of Gender What is Gender? Gender is the social dimension of being male or female. Gender identity is the sense of being male or female, which most children acquire by the age of three. Gender typing is the way society stereotypes males and females who have characteristics of the opposite gender. The social learning theory is the view of 2006-07-05T23:30:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Definition-of-Gender-30048.aspx Psychological Disorder of Schizoprenia Schizophrenia is a disease that has plagued societies around the world for centuries. It is characterized by the presence of both positive and negative symptoms. (Positive symptoms-altered behaviors ie excited motor activity, hallucinations, incoherent thoughts and speech, negative symptoms - the lack of behavior ie emotion lack of speech, and lack of emotion. Not all schizophrenic patients will exhibit all of these symptoms. There has been much debate as to the causes of schizophrenia. While some proposed causes that exist today have been proven false ie bad parenting, many still remain. One of the most famous and most debatable is the dopamine hypothesis. • Kendler & Gruenbert (1984) and Rosenthal et al., (1980) found that although 1% of the population develops sch an individual has a 10% chance of sch occurring if they have the illness in their family (ie parent, child, or sibling) even if a healthy family adopted the relative shortly after birth. • Holzman & Matthysse (1990) also show that the concordance rates for sch are higher in identical twins (45%) than fraternal twins (10%). However the fact that these concordance rates for sch in identical twins is very low lends more weight on individual experience among people may provoke the development of sch. • The current view among researchers is that some individuals inherit the potential for sch which may be activated by experience (Gottesman & Bertelsen, 1989). • Norman & Malla (1993) found that stress may be play a major role in this activation of schizophrenic symptoms among people with this susceptibility. They found thro several studies that exposure to stressors is common prior to a schizophrenic attack. In the 1950s the anti-schizophrenic drug, chlorpromazine, was accidentally found. Initially it was developed as an antihistamine however scientific study showed that it had a calming effect when it was administered before surgery. It was then suggested that it might have the same calming effect when administered to psychotic patients. This was not the case, moreover it was found to help schizophrenic symptoms, allowing many institutionalized patients to be discharged. About the same time scientists discovered Reserpine which comes from the snakeroot plant and was used in India for centuries to help those with mental illness. Reserpine was also found to have an anti-schizophrenic effect when administered to patients. Chlorpromazine 2006-07-05T23:20:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Disorder-of-Schizoprenia-30044.aspx Women's Role in Sociopolitical History Historical influences against women have shaped the role of women in most societies today. Biblical writings that influenced Christianity, Judaism, and other religions, blame women for destroying the innocence of mankind, symbolic by Eve’s eating the Fruit of Wisdom. Ancient Greek beliefs suggested that mans’ strength gave the man the right to rule, thus men were the only ones capable of becoming “guardians” and protector of state, which ultimately gave them political rights. These early writings, which were written mostly by men, helped influence other writers responsible for shaping a countries’ ideology about male dominance and a women’s role in society as housewives and child bearer and thus women were given less opportunities in education for their primary role as housewives didn’t require much knowledge. The national political arena is dominated by men but allows women some select access; the international political arena is a sphere for men only, or for those rare women who can successfully play at being men, or at least not shake masculine presumptions (Enloe 13). In a Cold war interpretation: a patriarchal world is dangerous when masculine men and feminine women are expected to react in opposite but complementary ways. A real man will become the protector in such a world. He will suppress his own fears, brace himself and step forward to defend the weak, women and children. In the same dangerous world, women will turn gratefully and expectantly to their fathers and husbands, real or surrogate (Enloe 13). In conventional commentaries men who yield influence in international politics are analyzed in terms of their national identities, their class origins and their paid work (Enloe 13). Rarely are they analyzed as men who have been taught how to be manly, how to size up the trustworthiness or competence of other men in terms of their manliness (Enloe 13). Jean Jacques Rousseau, a French writer in 1762 said, “There is a difference in the moral relation of the two sexes. ‘One ought to be active and strong, the other passive and weak’. Woman was made to please man and man pleases by the sole fact of his strength” (Lives and Voices 249). His influence along with other writers influenced much of the ideologies of male dominance worldwide. In terms of economic progression, women play major 2006-07-05T16:12:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-s-Role-in-Sociopolitical-History-30024.aspx History and Effects of Alzheimer's Disease A terrifying disease indeed, Alzheimer's has to this date caused confusion and much speculation in the medical world. What is Alzheimer's? How does it occur? How can it be detected? Who is most susceptible to contract it? All of these are common questions doctors and medical researchers ponder on; questions that are investigate the fundamental roots of Alzheimer's [as well as other diseases]. With these questions being unanswered, it can be only known that Alzheimer's exists and takes over the lives of approximately 4% of US ‘s elderly population every year with the number on the rise. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that is growing in numbers every single year. People over the age of 65 are the ones that need to worry most about getting it, yet some people that are younger can still get it. This disease is a terrible disease and can be scary and frustrating. Doctors have a very difficult time diagnosing it because there are so many things that are similar to this disease. This disease not only destroys the lives of the victims, but also can ruin the lives of the people that take care of them. At this time there is not a cure, but many scientists are working very hard to find a cure for this terrible disease. Today there are almost 4 million Americans that suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is estimated that this disease will claim 14 million victims by the year 2050. Experts believe this because of greater life expectancy (Beck 36). Meanwhile, almost 4 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 to 74 will get this disease. For the people between the ages of 75 through 84 it is expected to strike ten percent, and people over the age of 85 have a 17 percent chance of contracting this horrifying disease (Larson 517). It can also strike the lives of people in their forties or fifties, although this is not that common (Fish 19). Undeniably, Alzheimer's is an extremely terrible disease to get because one loses memory, self-pride, and independence to care for one's self. Because so little information is known about this disease by the public and even medical experts, it is described as a "silent disease" (Frank 13). In 1906 a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist by the name of Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered and named this disease. He had a 2006-07-04T16:18:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-and-Effects-of-Alzheimer-s-Disease-29997.aspx Report on Paraguay's National Economy My report was done on the country of Paraguay. This is a very interesting yet different country then ours. It has many of the same features as the United States. One of them being its form of Government, it is listed as a “Republic” on paper but has all the same principals of a “Democracy”. Also there are many differences about this country as well. The first being their literacy rate, it is currently at 81% the lowest of the surrounding countries. The life expectancy for males is 65 and for females 69. Their population under 15 years old is a large 425 highest of surrounding countries. However, the population has been growing since 1990 at a rate of almost 3.5 %. In Comparison this country is about the size of California yet has about half of its population. The main spoken language is Quariani but Spanish is a close second, however this is not the Spanish we speak it is more of a dialect of the Spanish language we are studying. Also many Indian languages such as Lenqua, Nivacte, and Ache exists but these are only spoken is the forest regions of the country where very few people speak them. Paraguay is not very “high tech” at all. In fact it has a high unemployment rate of about 8%. There are many markets for shopping but very few stores, as we know them throughout the country. The electricity is hydrogenated and also in very limited supply. Six million kilowatts on average is what is generated. Therefore only a limited amount of buildings have power. All governmental buildings as well as 50 others. Most of Paraguay’s money is generated from a few agricultural products. Such as cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, heat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, and milk. Paraguay is made up of a wide range of geographic facts, it goes from mountains to flatlands. It is a land locked country with a total area of 407,000 miles. Most of the country is timber that has little or no economic value. The Rio Paraguay River splits this country in two. With the eastern part being the most populated. Paraguay is a well-watered plate with rolling grasslands and some sub-tropical forests. One mineral resource available is petroleum but even this is a very limited supply and resource. Paraguay is a humid country 2006-07-03T23:41:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Report-on-Paraguay-s-National-Economy-29967.aspx Role Greed Plays in Societies Do you want something? If you do you’re greedy. Greed is not a bad thing it is actually good! Greed has been the primary motivating factor in every major historical, scientific, social, and economic event so far. Without greed, our economy as a hole would fail overnight. Without greed, there would be no religion. Without greed, governments would cease to exist. Without greed all the currencies in the world wouldn’t be worth anything at all. It is the greed of the worker, striving to earn more money, which drives our country and the world forward. It's the greed of the buyer, wanting to keep more of his hard earned cash, which causes him consider his buying options and purchase the least expensive product of the best quality, thereby creating market forces which sell goods at a lower price for daily consumers. It is the greed of the holy man seeking after the love of God which causes him to do good works. Webster's Dictionary defines greed as an "excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especialy material wealth) than one needs or deserves." I challenge the accuracy of that definition. There is nothing excessive about desiring more for yourself, regardless of what you have. Whether it is money, love, fame, recognition, or that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you feed the homeless, you are motivated to perform some action because you want something, even if that action is simple emotional gratification. Greed does wonders too people. It makes them work together even do they hate one another there greediness drives them to work with each other because of there best interest not because they want too. You can say that the cheaters in the world today are the greediest of us all. There greed greatly motivates them to find a lope hole in things. Without that greed they would not have a reason too. You can actually say every one is greedy in one way or another. But greed is the thing that makes my life easier. Without it there wouldn’t be any inventions making ordinary work even easier for me. If it wasn’t for greed we wouldn’t have all these great inventions that we see every day in out house. For instance the light bulbs or even the refrigerator. All the things we see today 2006-07-03T23:38:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Role-Greed-Plays-in-Societies-29966.aspx The Economics of Thorstein Veblen There seems to be little question that Veblen had an a grasping and intelligent mind; as a young man he read ferociously. But, Veblen proceeded in life as an isolated figure; his mind unpenetrable by others; and his personality matched his physical appearance, -- strange.1 "He walked through life as if he had descended from another world, and the goings on which ... appeared to him as piquant, exotic, and curious as the rituals of a savage community ... [he was] a mass of eccentricities." In time Velben found himself teaching at the University of Chicago, a university that was well funded (Rockefeller) and had determined to corner the entire intellectual market, even if it meant that the university was to end up with such a strange individual in its stable, as undoubtedly Thorstein Velben was.2 Veblen's teaching methods were such that they drove students away: "He mumbled, he rambled, he digressed."3 Though Veblen makes for an interesting biographical sketch, what in economics he will be remembered for is his work, The Theory Of The Leisure Class. It came off the presses in 1899. It was first written in such a polysyllabic manner that the publisher had to get Veblen to re-write it several times. In it, Veblen set forth his corrosive view of society.4 "For most people the book appeared to be nothing more than just ... a satire on the ways of the aristocratic class, and a telling attack on the foibles of the rich. ... Although Veblen might stop along the route to comment on the more striking local scenery, his interest lay at the terminus of his journey, in such questions as What is the nature of economic man? How does it happen that he builds his community that it will have a leisure class? What is the economic meaning of leisure itself?"5 Veblen's theory of the leisure class is to be compared to that of Marx's theory. Marx was of the view that the upper class were at "swords points" with one another and the inevitable historical outcome would be the violent overthrow of the upper classes. Veblen, however, was of the view that the lower classes were not out to overthrow the upper class; but, rather, strived to climb up to it. Its presence, indeed, served the larger community by setting the example and giving 2006-07-03T23:00:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Economics-of-Thorstein-Veblen-29947.aspx Importance of Personal Physical Appearance People nowadays put a lot of efforts to make themselves become more beautiful in order to develop their self-confidence. As we can see that joining a gym or fitness center, going to a beauty salon, or even putting themselves under the knife of cosmetic surgeons become more and more prevalent recently. However, why do people always focus on and take extra care of their physical appearance? Firstly, people are often influenced by the media. Many advertisements use attractive celebrities to publicize and promote their products. The advertisements usually use a super model who has a slim body shape, big round eyes and perfect white skin to show what beauty is and how superior they are. They want to build up an image of success through an attractive appearance and try to distribute the concept of beauty to the people. If we want to be successful and popular, we must have a so-called charming look just like the models in the magazines. The media would sometimes use ugly or fat people in their advertisements, but always in a negative and miserable way. As we can see that only the obese and hideous people are teased, bullied and repulsed by others in the movies. They always have a lower status and suffer an unpleasant life in the film. Therefore, under the influence of the media, the concept of beauty and slim means successful, favorable and powerful while obesity and ugliness means failure and poor is already deep-rooted in every people’s mind. Secondly, people are always affected by the peers and the people surrounding. They think that having an attractive appearance is everything. They may misconceive that the more the attractive appearance, the more the benefits and welcomes they can achieve from peers and other people. Therefore, sometimes when they feel unsuccessful and desperate, they would impute it to their appearance or when they are repelled by others, they would blame for their ugly look. On the other hand, attractive physical appearance can build up one’s self-confidence and self-esteem. They will have a very high and positive self-evaluation towards themselves as they think they are more appeal and supreme among the others. It eventually builds up their confidence and beliefs in doing things successfully and favorably in their life. Thus, there is no wonder why so many people strive for a beautiful look and take extra 2006-07-03T14:08:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Importance-of-Personal-Physical-Appearance-29939.aspx Classical Conditioning and Observational Learning Most Psychologists agree that the process of learning is usually permanent and is credited to past experience. However, they differ greatly in their belief as to what mechanisms are actually involved in learning to make changes occur and what kinds of past experiences are involved (Gross, (1992) p.165). It is the author’s intention, within the body of this essay to examine and evaluate the theory of learning from a behaviourist viewpoint, focusing on classical conditioning and the social learning theory, concentrating on observational learning. BEHAVIOURISM The behaviourism approach sees every individual born a ‘blank book’. An individual’s personality and the kind of person they become are wholly attributed their environment and their learning experiences; no biological or instinctive causes come in to the equation (Class notes, (2001/2002). Watson, (1930) stated: “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed and my own specified world to bring them up and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select - doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and yes, even beggar man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors” (Cardwell et al, (1996) p.544). The approach focuses solely on observational experiments, mainly with animals, so therefore it can be objectively measured and controlled (Class notes, (2001/2002) and whereas for example, some psychologists would study the mental experience of ‘hunger’, behaviourists would observe the ‘eating’ process (Sdorow, (1990) p.13). The ultimate goal of behaviourist therapists is to control behaviour, however the approach denies the existence of a ‘mind’, overlooking any form of freewill on the part of the individual, who is seen as passive and acceptant (Holden et al, (1996) p.113). Behaviourists concentrate mainly on the process of learning, with the key processes being classical and operant conditioning. It is classical conditioning that the author will look at in more depth. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Classical conditioning is basically learning through simple association and reinforcement (Class notes, (2001/2002), with the leading theorist being Ivan Pavlov, (1927) who studied how animals responded to conditioning. In Pavlov's best-known experiment, he rang a bell as he fed some dogs several meals. Each time the dogs heard the bell they knew that a meal was coming, and they would begin to salivate. Pavlov then rang the bell without bringing food, but the 2006-07-03T13:39:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classical-Conditioning-and-Observational-Learning-29926.aspx Convenience and Practicality of Investing Today If you are like every other person in this country, you have probably heard the success stories connected to the stock market. You have probably associated those successes with the Bill Gates of the world, and consider that kind of success an unattainable and unrealistic goal for yourself. This is no longer true, however. Resent technology has made investing much more user friendly than in the past. With the Internet, you can now get detailed instructions on why you should invest, the risks versus the rewards, what type of investments are right for you, and how to get started. There may be many different reasons why you haven’t jumped on the investment bandwagon. There are many more, however, why you should. A lot of people feel that investing is something that you have to be a genius to do, or that if you didn’t start early, it’s too late. This isn’t true. Anyone can invest; it can be as simple as opening a savings account. There are people that do all of the research for you, and unless you are going to a full service broker, there are no fees. Also, it is never too late to invest. There are investment options out there that are tailored to your needs and situation, no matter what they may be. The current market makes now the perfect time to start investing. With the market hitting an all time low, the price of stocks is down considerable. If you buy now, when the market goes back up, your money will have an even greater chance at potential growth. Like everything else in life, there are risks in investing, stock markets plummet, and companies go bankrupt. However, you are all but guaranteed to make money in the stock market. You are actually at a greater risk of losing money by leaving it in a savings account, than investing that money. Thanks to inflation, $100 left sitting in a bank savings account for 10 years, will have lost one fourth of its value. Some investors get very anxious when the stock market takes evens the smallest dip. The biggest mistake investors make is to pull their money out whenever they see this happening. It is a mathematical certainty that the longer 2006-07-02T22:47:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Convenience-and-Practicality-of-Investing-Today-29912.aspx Psychological Report on Paranoia Paranoia is an ever-present feeling of suspicion that others cannot be trusted. Such feelings are not based on fact or reality; insecurity and low self-esteem often exaggerate these emotions. Typically, paranoia is not seen in children, but in most cases it begins to develop in late adolescence and early adulthood. Most people experience feelings of paranoia, usually in response to a threatening situation or in connection with feelings of insecurity based on real circumstances. These feelings are related to the mild anxiety people experience at some points during their lives. The fourth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) includes diagnostic criteria for the more serious condition, paranoid personality disorder. According to the DSM-IV, individuals afflicted with this disorder assume, with little concrete evidence to support the assumption, that others plan to exploit, harm, or deceive him or her; and continually analyzes the motivations of friends, family, and others to confirm his or her doubts about their trustworthiness; expects friends and family to abandon him or her in times of trouble or stress; avoids revealing personal information because of fear that it will be used against him or her; interprets remarks and actions as having hidden, demeaning, and threatening connotations; and is unwilling to forgive an insult. The behavior of an individual with paranoid personality disorder may compel others to react with anger or hostility. This tends to reinforce the individual's suspiciousness and feelings that friends and associates are "against" him or her. In the 1990s, the term "everyday paranoia" (EP) came into usage among psychologists to describe the intense anxiety that was becoming prevalent in society. Everyday paranoia is sparked by fear of losing one's job, feelings of inadequacy when confronting a new interpersonal or romantic relationship, or insecurity in a marriage or other long-term relationship. Low self-esteem and feelings of insecurity contribute to a person's susceptibility to feelings of everyday paranoia. Stressful situations-economic insecurity, divorce, a move, a job change-can also reinforce a person's paranoia. Almost everyone experiences feelings of suspicion or insecurity-and in fact, paranoia can be a mechanism for coping with misfortune or personal problems. Rather than view the situation as "bad luck" or personal failure or incompetence, paranoia places the responsibility for the problem on some "enemy." The term paranoia is used erroneously at times to define special life circumstances. Members of minority groups and new immigrants may exhibit 2006-07-02T22:28:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Report-on-Paranoia-29905.aspx What it means to study Sociology Sociology is the study of human society, including both social action and organization. Sociologists use scientific research methods and theories, and study social life in a wide variety of settings. Sociology offers us not only information but also a distinctive way of looking at the world and our place in it. Whereas most people try to explain events by analyzing the motives of those involved, sociologists encourage us to look beyond individual psychology to the many recurring patterns in peoples attitudes and action, and how these patterns vary across time, cultures, and social groups. Sociologists do not ask simply " what kind of person is Sedum Hussein?" Instead they ask "what kind of social conditions allowed him to rise to such power?" Sociologists do not ignore individuals. they show that to understand the actions of individuals-and our own experiences-we have to understand the social context in which they take place. Take the experiences of the American soldiers who have served in the Persian Gulf. They were very different from the experiences of those who served in Vietnam. was this just because the wars were experienced by different people with different personalities? no. The different experiences arose from different social circumstances. These included different methods of recruitment, an all volunteer army versus the draft. Different ways of developing troops different characteristics of the enemy combatants. All these social circumstances, beyond each individual control, were critical in shaping American soldiers experiences. Understanding this point is a basic illustration of what the great American sociologist C. Wright Mills called sociological imagination. Sociological imagination is a way of looking at our experiences in light of what is going on in the social world around us. We come to see that we are more than just actors involved in our own personal dramas. We are caught up in larger social patterns acted out on a broader social stage. In discussing sociological imagination, Mills pointed out: nowadays people often their private lives are a series of traps. They sense that within their everyday worlds, they cannot quite overcome their troubles, and in feeling this, they are often quite correct. In these terms consider unemployment. When, in a city of 100,000, only one man is unemployed, that is his personal trouble, and for it's relief we probably look to the character of the man, his skills, and his immediate opportunities. But when many 2006-07-02T17:25:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-Sociology-29892.aspx Study of the Practice of Trafficking Women "Trafficking is the recruitment and or the transportation of persons by others using violence or the threat of violence, abuse of authority or dominant position…for the purpose of exploiting them sexually or economically for the profit or advantage of others, such as recruiters, traffickers, brothel owners and customers." (unknown author, "What is Trafficking?") Trafficking in women and girls has become one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world. An estimate of one to two million women and girls are trafficked around the world, annually, 10,000 to 100,000 of which are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. (International Women’s Issues, "Trafficking in Women and Girls-An International Human Rights Violation") Women migrate to cities or across international borders to support families, and they usually migrate alone. Traffickers in women lure victims with advertisements and false promises of jobs as waitresses, sales clerks, nannies and models. In Thailand and South Africa, women and girls, especially those who are poor, are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking, and often times it is the only option open for them. The following is an experience of a Burmese girl caught in the trafficking of women and girls into Thailand. When "Lin Lin" was thirteen years old, shortly after her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage, she was taken by her father from their village of Chom Dtong to Mae Sai. At the job placement agency in Mae Sai, her father was given 12,000 baht ($480) from an agent who assured him he could find a job for Lin Lin in Thailand. Lin Lin was sent on a bus to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The agent from Mae Sai met her at a hotel in Bangkok and took Lin Lin to Kanchanaburi, a city west of Bangkok. She was brought to the Ran Dee Prom brothel and on the third day was told to work. Lin Lin was completey unaware of what kind of work was in store for her. She did not know what was going on until the man started touching her body. He took her to a room, told her to take off her clothes, then forced her to have sex. Lin Lin was kept in Kanchanaburi to work for one month, then sent to Korat, a city northeast of Bangkok, to a brothel 2006-07-02T17:16:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-the-Practice-of-Trafficking-Women-29890.aspx Economic Analysis of Framce France is the largest Western European nation in terms of size and economy. They are part of almost all UN organizations and many other non-UN organizations, only one of which is the World Trade Organization (WTO). They are also part of The European Union (EU). France holds a permanent seat on the Security Council as well as being a charter member of the UN. They have paid all of their assessments and have been an active 2006-06-27T03:41:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Analysis-of-Framce-29887.aspx Information, Symptoms and Treatment of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating mental illness. The disease can cause you to withdraw from the people and activities in the world around you and retreat into a world of delusions and fantasies. Schizophrenia is the most common and destructive kind of psychosis, which is an impairment of thinking in which your interpretation of reality can be severely abnormal. Psychosis is a symptom of a disordered brain. Researchers haven't identified the cause or causes of schizophrenia, although they believe genetic factors play a role. Evidence suggests chemical or subtle structural abnormalities in your brain contribute to causing this illness. Schizophrenia may exist alone or in combination with other psychiatric or medical conditions. Misconceptions about schizophrenia and its relation to other mental illnesses include: Schizophrenia isn't the same as a "split" or multiple personality. Multiple personality disorder is a separate, rare condition. Although some people with schizophrenia develop violent tendencies, most don't. Many withdraw into themselves rather than interact with others. Not everyone who acts paranoid or distrustful is schizophrenic. Some people have paranoid personality disorder, a tendency to be suspicious or distrustful of others, without the other features of schizophrenia. Not everyone who hears voices is schizophrenic. Some people with depression may hear voices. Hearing voices may also occur as a result of a serious medical illness or from the effects of medication. Schizophrenia may affect up to 1 percent of the population worldwide, including more than 2.7 million Americans, occurring equally in men and women. The disorder is rare in children. There's no cure for the illness, but your doctor often can successfully manage schizophrenia — especially when an early diagnosis occurs. Fortunately, newer medications are making this poorly understood disorder more manageable than ever before. WHAT IS IT? Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime – more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting 2006-06-27T03:18:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Information,-Symptoms-and-Treatment-of-Schizophrenia-29882.aspx The Life of the Inuit People Thousands of years ago, during the last ice age, mile-thick glaciers covered a vast portion of North America, and the Asian continent was joined to North America by a land bridge. The Arctic areas of Alaska, Beringia, and Siberia were free of ice. Vast herds of caribou, muskoxen, and bison migrated to these plains. Following them were the nomadic Asian ancestors of today's Inuit and Indians. The doorway to Asia closed about three or four thousand years later as the glaciers receded and melted. These people: the Inuit (meaning the people), adapted to their harsh tundra environment and developed a culture that remained untainted for a long time. The Inuit people relied solely on hunting for their existence. With summers barely lasting two months, agriculture was non-existent. Animals such as caribou and seal were vital. Groups of hunters would stalk and kill many caribou with fragile bows made of driftwood, and their bounty was split evenly amongst the tribe. Bone spears were fashioned to hunt seals which provided food, oil, clothes, and tents. The seal skins were also used to construct kayaks and other boats that the Inuit would use to travel and to hunt whales. One advantage of the sterile cold of the arctic was that it kept these people free of disease (until they met the white man.) Inuit tribes consisted of two to ten loosely joined families. There was no one central leader in the group: all decisions were made by the community as a whole. Nor was there any definite set of laws; the Inuit, though usually cheery and optimistic, were prone to uncontrolled bursts of rage. Murder was common amongst them and it went unpunished unless an individual's murders occured too often. At that point, that person was deemed unstable, and the community appointed a man to terminate him/her. In their society, the duties of men and women were strictly separated. The males would hunt, fish and construct the tools used by the family. Women, however, were responsible for cleaning the animal skins, cooking, sewing the clothes ( a woman's sewing ability was equally as attractive to a man as her beauty was), and raising the children. Male children were preferred because they could care for their parents in their old age; female children when often strangled soon after birth. Although today Christianity has breached some 2006-06-27T02:53:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Life-of-the-Inuit-People-29875.aspx Understanding why Rituals Exist in Society Ritual is an act or ceremony carried out on a regular basis, with a specific intention. Ritual has been a part of life from time immemorial. Humans are creatures of habit. People adopt a habit if it proves to be effective, efficient, or serves as a reminder. However, they tend to continue that practice even after that habit’s usefulness has been lost. These habits have evolved into rituals that govern how people run their lives. Religion for example is full of rituals that one may deem unnecessary or antiquated. For instance, In Shirley Jackson’s short story, “Lottery,” there is a group of townsfolk that practice a barbaric ritual only because their predecessors before them had practiced it. One of the ancient practices that modern man deplores as inhumanly evil is annual sacrifice of a scapegoat or a god-figure for the benefit of the community. Rituals give people a prototype on how to behave in situations that they would not otherwise know how to behave. Some of these rituals may be appropriate but others may have lost their usefulness. People should consider their reasons for rituals. Why do they believe in rites? The interesting fact is that people believe in rites mostly because of their parent’s influence in their upbringing. A child observes his or her environment, and learns from it. A major component and influence of that is watching his or her parents performing these rites. The Parents force the child to do the rituals and they try to convince him or her to believe them. For instance, in “Lottery,” Shirley mentioned, “ the children assembled first, of course. ” The enthusiasm of the children can either be taken as the children’s willingness to please their parents or excitement at being allowed to participate in this grown up act. The children do not know where the stoning ritual comes from but they want to experience and take part in it to show they are also grown up and have an interest in the community. As I grew up in semi-conservative Jewish family, my parents were doing the rites and customs that they had learned as children and were passing them down to their own children. They sent me to the Jewish school and I learned Jewish ceremony and rules from schools. I never had chance to ask why 2006-06-26T16:45:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rituals-in-Society-29843.aspx Personality Development in Psychology The first school of thought we studied this year was Freud’s. The identification of the id, ego, and superego personalities, the psychosexual stages that we grow through, and the defense mechanism all seem very logical. But from studying the theories more, Freud’s ideas become more of coincidences than truth for me. The id, ego, and superego types of personalities are something that I believe true of everyone. Every person has one of the characteristics that they can hold true to themselves depending on the situation. Someone could have a weakness for sweets and be constantly eating chocolate (id,) but that same person could be very thrifty and refuse to spend their money on something that they don’t need (superego,) and maybe everything else about them could fall in the middle (ego.) The psychosexual sexual stages also come off as obvious guesses to me. The thought that everyone goes through phases in their life I can attest to, and that certain ones come at certain times, but who didn’t know that? When children are real young they constantly put things in their mouth, so anyone, not only Freud, could call this an oral stage. The comparisons of the stages to fairy tales are far stretches. To think that famous authors had certain sexual thoughts in their heads when writing bedtime stories for kids is a little out there. Freud’s defense mechanisms are the most accurate of his ideas. I’ve always been curious as to why people act to certain situations the way they do. The mechanisms were one part of his ideas that I had used in everyday life. Rationalization and denial are things I saw everyday, and when learning about them, compared to other things he discovered, I could relate and see better where there was truth. Freud basically believed in the unconscious, and that it’s what rules everything we do. I believe in the subconscious, that it effects some decisions that we make, but I don’t think that it runs our life. There is a reason we have a conscious, so that we can be aware of choices that we are making and what is going on around us. Behaviorism is the opposite of Freud’s beliefs. Behaviorists believe that the unconscious is not at all involved in the decisions and choices people 2006-06-21T15:33:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Personality-Development-in-Psychology-29767.aspx Analysis of the Human Brain The human being is considered to be the ultimate form of life on the earth. This is not because the human body is strong and agile. Many other animals posses skills much superior to humans and are able to perform feats humans can only dream of. The one thing that distinguishes humans from all of the other organisms on this planet is the brain. The brain is the site that controls the human body. However, unlike in animals, in man, the brain is also the site of the mind. The mind gives humans superiority over other creatures. It provides humans with the ability to reason, to feel and to adapt. Because of this, man has achieved so much, and has also realized that much more is still ahead. During the course of evolution, ever since early man and his ancestors walked on the surface of the earth, man has wondered about himself, and how he relates to the natural world. People learned and adapted to new lifestyles. As time passed, humans learned to record history. They analyzed past events and applied this knowledge to solve problems. These processes improved as more and more people supplied their experiences to the common pool of knowledge. Such co-operation created the modern man with his ability to think. Many studies were started. Some of them centered around humans. They included, among many others, psychology and neurology. While psychology deals with the mind and human behavior, neurology is the study of the nervous system. The nervous system of the human being consists of several parts. The main structures are the brain and the spinal chord. The system also includes nerves which sense external and internal stimuli and then relate all information to the central processing unit, i.e. the brain. Because of man's rapid evolution in technology and medicine, humans now know a great deal more about their own nervous system then they did even a few years ago. This increase in knowledge is partly due to the recent advances in nuclear medicine. Although X-ray machines have been the chief mechanical tools for internal observations of the human body since Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1901, the development of computers made it possible for better and more accurate techniques to be applied to scan the human 2006-06-21T14:53:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Human-Brain-29751.aspx Emotional Effects of Child Abuse Child abuse is reported every ten seconds in the United States. In 2001 in Iowa the DHS reported 25,696 cases, finding only that 8,920 cases were ruled abuse, which means that 16.8 Iowa children per 1,000 suffered from abuse. Of those 8,920 cases, only 29 were determined to be emotional abuse. This has dropped since 1998, when emotional abuse accounted for 6% of all victims suffering child abuse. Child abuse has been on the rise for the past ten years. I am here to tell you about the least understood form of abuse, yet it is the most prevalent and can be the most destructive of all types. It accompanies other forms of abuse but also may occur on its own. Emotional abuse is described as, any attitude or behavior, which interferes with a child’s mental health or social development. Rejecting or refusing to acknowledge a person’s presence, value or worth is the most common type of emotional abuse. Isolation, which is physical confinement is a way to make the child think he/she is not wanted. Terrorizing a child and inducing terror or fear upon them is also one of the main types of emotional abuse. Yelling, screaming, name-calling, shaming, and telling them they are bad, worthless, or lazy are just a few examples of how easy it is to emotionally abuse a child. Corrupting your child into accepting ideas or behaviors that are not appropriate is also emotionally toying with the child’s mind. Insulting, ridiculing, imitating and infantilizing are all ways of degrading a child. All of these types of emotional abuse are seemingly based on power and control. There are numerous reasons why children get abused, and not just by parents, but siblings too. Nearly one-third of women in prison reported abuse as children, with males being 14% of inmates reporting abuse in childhood. This brings me to my first cause. A person’s background. If the abuser, has had deprivation he/she is more likely to continue it. Parents who were abused don’t know any better because that’s how they were raised. Therefore, they punish their kids the way that their parents punished them. When a child sees or hears a family member being abused they also are victims of emotional abuse. So 2006-06-20T18:20:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Emotional-Effects-of-Child-Abuse-29745.aspx Dealing with Stress Viktor Frankl once said, “Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress.” Dealing with stress is not the easiest thing to do, but to overcome it, one must first look at what causes stress, and then how to deal with it. What is most times thought to be the main cause of stress is only a small percentage of the true things that cause stress. Outdoor leaders are faced with stress everyday, and it comes in many different forms. The job of a responsible leader is to recognize that stress, whether it be with himself, some one else, or the entire group, and assist in relieving it as soon as possible and in the best manner available. Physical danger appears to cause most stress in the outdoors, but it is truly the ordinary things that cause the most stress and are the toughest to handle. It is not the most obvious and dramatical situations that cause us stress but rather the everyday trivial proceedings that seem to bring about the most stress. There are many factors that cause stress. Everything from ignorant people to poor planning and disorganization can inflict stress on a person. It’s difficult to list or describe the exact situations that cause stress because of the fact that it’s different for each and every person. Each person has their own pet peeves and annoyances, so it’s not the specific things, but rather the ideas of what causes stress that are of more importance. Nonetheless, physical dangers such as weather and accidents do indeed cause stress but only a small amount of what we encounter in our daily lives. The mass is on the petty misunderstandings, and minor slipups accruing everyday. Stress can make or break a trip and if dealt with correctly can preserve the safety and enjoyment of the entire group. Once it is know what causes stress it makes it much easier to deal with it. There are a few steps to take to insure that stress is dissipated as soon as possible so that the experience may be as enjoyable as possible for all that are involved. The first step in dealing with any kind of stress is to take a deep breath. Calm down and asses the situation and it will be much easier to deal with 2006-06-20T17:12:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dealing-with-Stress-29713.aspx Becoming an International Student in the United States United States is a well-known country for its educational facilities. Therefore, numerous students from all over the world wish to continue their studies in United States. However, it is not possible for everyone to become an international student in the United States because it requires a huge financial support, an intellectual mind, and strength to live without beloved family members. A person who is able to put up with these factors can become a successful international student. In order to become an international student in the United States, one has to go through three major steps: to find admission in preferred school, to obtain visa and to travel, and to keep him/herself in status after arrival. Attaining admission is the first step for becoming international student. Institutes in United States issue an admission, also known as I-20 form that depends upon visa endorsement, to prospective students. One has to select the institute of his or her choice. Various institutes require prospective international students to take some mandatory tests such as TOEFL and SAT. The range of minimum required scores on those tests, however, vary from institute to institute. When the institute satisfies with a prospective student’s abilities, an admission is given to him or her. After he or she receives admission, a prospective student has to apply for visa that is the second step. Once the admission is acquired, a prospective international student needs to obtain United States’ visa so that he or she can travel. American visa authorities ask proofs of financial support for student visa. A prospective student is supposed to show those proofs. If authority gives the visa to prospective student, he or she has to be prepared to travel to the new world, the United States. The most difficult situation for international students in all this process is to leave family back in home. But it is something that always happen when someone desires to study overseas. So the Second step is to get visa and to reach the United States. The third step is a long-term phase. When an International student arrives in United States, he or she has to remain in status. In order to be in status, an international student is supposed to be enrolled as full-time student in every semester until the end of studies. If a student does not enroll 2006-06-20T17:09:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Becoming-an-International-Student-in-the-United-States-29712.aspx Attention Dficit Disorder in Today's Society Attention deficit disorder is the subject of two widely challenged debates in medicinal practice and theory. One, the argument for ADD being a clinical and mental “disorder”, is in favor of medical treatment, claiming the diagnosis is attributable to brain damage or neurological defects. The second gives an alternative idea behind ADD, stating that people showing traits of the disorder often exemplify characteristics such as creativity, inventiveness, and even giftedness. As a rising percentage of children are being diagnosed with the disorder, more and more research has been called for, in an attempt to find an actual cause. ADD is classified as multi-factorial, meaning that multiple reasons are generally attributed to its development and diagnosis. A diagnostic criterion includes hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. The intent of this paper is to provide arguments and evidence on both sides of the issue, followed by standard and alternative methods for dealing with ADD. The history of attention deficit disorder goes back to World War 1, when a number of soldiers who experienced head injuries demonstrated hyperactivity as a side effect. It was then that ADD was classified as a disorder related to either brain damage or a defect of some kind. It has been proven, however, that this is false. ADD or attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) can also be attributed to giftedness. Studies show that ADD is genetic and it runs in families. Years ago, only children exhibiting severe affects of hyperactivity were diagnosed, mostly because they suffered brain damage or trauma. Today, the diagnostic criterion has been expanded so that any underachiever, or inattentive child fits the bill. Subsequently, millions of kids in America are getting labeled as ADD. Most studies show that 3 to 5 percent of the population possesses attention deficit disorder. Symptoms related to the DSM-IV criteria, which includes inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, can show themselves in different ways. The two major types are ADD with hyperactivity, and ADD with inattention. The diagnostic criteria includes: • failing to give close attention to details or making careless mistakes • difficulty sustaining attention • appearing not to listen when spoken to directly • not following through on instructions and failing to complete tasks • organizational difficulties • avoiding, or not liking, tasks that require sustained mental effort • losing things necessary for tasks • being easily distracted • forgetfulness • fidgeting • leaving your seat 2006-06-20T15:57:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Attention-Dficit-Disorder-in-Today-s-Society-29699.aspx Cambodian Subculture in Long Beach, California Understanding how culture affects our lives helps us develop a sociological imagination (Kendal, 39). In 1954 the U.S. Agency for International development created a program to educate Cambodian nationals at American universities. Many of the 187 students who came settled in Long Beach and enrolled at California State University of Long Beach. The USAID program was latter discontinued due to the Vietnam War (Press-Telegram, 3). Cambodian history is filled with many horror stories and much pain. In April 1975, a French teacher Pol Pot, and his communist soldiers began systematically destroying Cambodia and its government. With the help of the North Vietnamese Pol Pot and his soldiers, which later became known as the Khmer Rouge, set out on a horrific journey to “ purify the Khmer race and create a classless society (Press-Telegram,3). The migration of Cambodians into the U.S. began in 1979. Everyday in Long Beach, Cambodian families mix culture as they would a plateful of lemongrass, chicken, and rice (press-telegram, 5). Cambodian parents face a seemingly never-ending battle of traditional rules and culture correct behavior with their children. Westernized Cambodian- American children have become more abundant as years go by. Today, many say, that the most important issue facing Cambodian families is generation gaps. Traditional parents and Americanized children, more often than not, disagree daily with appropriate dress code, music, behavior, and education. Many of Cambodians who escaped from Cambodia now find themselves in a land of few similarities. Many of these parents in Long Beach are happy to raise their families in a land free of war and dictatorship. However, freedom comes cuts both ways, says Jams Pok, a Cambodian pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Long Beach. Sometimes, it means children feel free to disregard, destroy and ignore elders- behavior that would not be tolerated in Cambodian, he says (press-telegram,5). Some parents believe that when children are exposed to American values, it becomes problematic for parents to keep Cambodian traditions within children. Take into consideration cultural rules and regulation traditional parent try to instill within their children. Cultural rules and regulations of Cambodians can be categorized into three parts: correct behavior of young males, correct behavior of young females, and correct behavior toward elders. Many Cambodia families in Long Beach say that girls are more difficult to raise than boys (smith, 47). Cambodian parents believe that through sexual 2006-06-20T15:29:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cambodian-Subculture-in-Long-Beach,-California-29690.aspx The Importance of Competition in our Economy Our economy is basically based on one major concept; competition. Competition is defined in Webster's Dictionary as being a trial of skill or ability. Competition can sometimes be a good thing, and it can also be a bad thing. It all depends on which end of the spectrum you are. Competition between two companies can benefit society just as often as it can hurt society. One major example of this is Wal-Mart and other large corporations coming into a small town and running small privately owned shops out of business. It is on this main topic that I will focus the rest of this paper on. Small businesses across the United States are being forced to close due to the success of large chain stores. The success of these chain stores has been argued to be beneficial by some and detrimental by others. Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer and it is still growing. There are many benefits Wal-Mart can offer a community, such as a decrease in the unemployment rate, as well as an increase of individual and per capita income. Some other benefits are that the opening of a Wal-Mart will create a larger tax base, and also there will be an increase of visits to the city by out-of-towners. These are just a few of the many benefits that the opening of a Wal-Mart or another large corporation would have on a town. One final benefit that may be a little deceiving is an increase in total retail sales. This may be deceptive because the increase most likely at the expense of many small businesses in that city and neighboring cities. Many different types of specialty stores could possibly suffer and go out of business. For example, Wal-Mart alone could put several stores out of business such as food stores, general merchandise stores, department stores, hardware stores, variety stores, specialty stores, and apparel stores. Large corporations including Wal-Mart have made claims stating that small businesses can compete with them. Some of the suggestions they make to smaller businesses include forming coops. Also, small businesses are urged to make shopping an experience, as well as embrace new technology. Small businesses can also fulfill an unmet need. Location is also extremely key in competing with large 2006-06-20T14:14:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-of-Competition-in-our-Economy-29664.aspx Psychological Analysis of Rashomon Rashomon, by Ryunosaki Akutaguya provides great insight into the psychological discord that the Japanese culture was undergoing in the early part of the twentieth century. Japan was in the throes of a societal transformation, from a traditional, religious-based society, to a newly adopted weternized culture. Japan was rapidly assimilating industrial and scientific techniques and philosophies that were in conflict with, and were replacing traditional ways of life. Akutaguwa illustrates this with his opening two paragraphs where he shows the once proud and majestic Rashomon Gate, a religious monument, abandoned and in ruins. As we enter the story, it is raining, (symbolic of transformation or rebirth) and the author describes the city of Kyoto having undergone a series of calamities; earthquakes, fires and tornadoes which have left Kyoto in a state of decline. This image is put side by side with the Samurai’s servant, whose master, once prosperous, is wealthy no longer. The servant, therefore, has been discharged and is out on the street. Psychologically, the imagery of the first two paragraphs is important. The religious artifacts, once richly decorated with gold and silver, no longer proudly represent old Japan. The gold and silver has “worn off” and the statues, which themselves represent the collectivist mindset and values, are being chopped up and “sold” as firewood. This represents a westernized psychological mindset that everything is for sale, including the Japanese people’s once- idealized values. The Rashomon itself is now a repository for the Kyoto dead, symbolically, those who cannot adapt to the new psychology and values taking over Japan. The current states of the city and the Rashomon Gate sets the stage for the servant’s internal psychological struggle. We meet the servant, his once fine clothes are now “worn thin” just like the the gold of the icons. Discharged from his master, he is lost in this new world. He has “no particular idea” of what to do. He realizes he faces a hard decision: to try to make an honest living and starve, or to become a theif and survive. Akutagawa very effectively illustrates the servant’s psychological dilemma with the line “He had little choice. His mind, after making the same detour time and again, finally came to the decision to be a thief.” We see the servants continuing struggle as, even after making the decision, he returns to 2006-06-16T18:45:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Analysis-of-Rashomon-29643.aspx Critique of Marxian Economics Jon Elster concluded his Making Sense of Marx with the claim that ‘It is not possible today, morally or intellectually, to be a Marxist in the traditional sense’ (1985, p.531). Acceptance of this statement depends, of course, on what is meant by traditional Marxism. Elster makes it clear that what he means by traditional Marxism is that ‘intellectually bankrupt’ and ‘non-scientific’ economic theory associated with the labor theory of value, the theory of the falling rate of profit, and ‘the most important part of historical materialism’, the ‘theory of productive forces and relations of production’ (1986, p.188-194). In place of these redundancies, Elster proposes a new Marxism founded upon logically consistent microfoundations (1982). To achieve this reconstruction, he explicitly favours the tools of neoclassical analysis; a ‘truly scientific’ methodology that posits the existence of economic institutions (for example, prices and markets), then attempts to show that they are compatible with the actions of individual agents who engage in rational calculated satisfaction-maximizing exchanges. Defending a position very similar to Elster’s, Roemer (1989a, p.384) provides the following summary of Marx’s economic theory and its late twentieth century reconstruction: Marx thought that the easiest way to explain how the surplus was produced was to assume a labor theory of value - that is, that prices of commodities were proportional to the amount of labor embodied in them. Exploitation took the form of workers producing goods embodying more of their labour than was embodied in the wage goods that they received in return, that surplus labour became monetized through the price system in a simple way because prices were assumed to be just proportional to the amounts of labor embodied in commodities. But it has long been known that equilibrium prices in a market economy are not proportional to the amount of labor embodied in goods; it was therefore necessary to ask whether the Marxist theory of accumulation could be made more precise even though the labor theory of value was wrong. This has been done during the last twenty years, by applying techniques of input-output analysis and general equilibrium theory, by Michio Morishima and others. It is, in my view, a winning point for Marxism that its theory of capitalist accumulation can be liberated from the false labor theory of value. Some Marxists, however, persist in viewing this reconstruction as heretical, dispensing as it does with the labor theory of 2006-06-16T18:44:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critique-of-Marxian-Economics-29642.aspx Deviance and Marijuana Use Deviance is any act, attribute, or belief that violates a cultural norm and elicits a negative or positive reaction. Peer pressure is a major contributor to the deviant behavior of marijuana use in young members of our society. Dealing with this peer pressure is a fact that most every teenager must sometime face. As teens grow older, they must face some challenging decisions, and peer pressure plays a factor when people your own age try to influence your decisions. Peer pressure is a major excuse as to why teens experiment with marijuana. Smoking marijuana is deviant behavior. This drug use goes against the norms of society and its effects can be extremely negative. Peers entice other young people to experiment with marijuana with the excuse that it is a safe drug. This is far from the truth. The Antidrug Commission published research of marijuana use on the brain. They found that "THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain's limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations." The THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main chemical in marijuana that gets you "high." Using marijuana with its strong THC content suppresses neurons in the information-processing system of the hippocampus. When we learn behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, they are deteriorated because of marijuana smoke. Short-term memory is needed to learn and perform tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Smoking marijuana causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. The effects of smoking marijuana on the respiratory system can do serious damage. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds (www.drugabuse.gov). It can destroy your immune system, because when you get "high", your whole body gets "high" even your T-cells, which help to fight disease. Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This 2006-06-16T15:39:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Deviance-and-Marijuana-Use--29634.aspx Social Status of Women in American Sociey Do women have equal rights as men? Can they balance their housework, take care of kids and work outside homes? Do men in our society always overshadow their existence? These questions came to my mind when I first thought about the changes in the status of women from ancient times to the women of today. Throughout history, most societies have held women in an inferior status compared to men. This situation was often justified as being the natural result of biological differences between the sexes. In many societies, for examples. People believed women to be naturally more emotional and less decisive than men. Women were also held to be less intelligent and less creative by nature. Many sociologists and anthropologists maintain that various cultures have taught girls to behave according to negative stereotypes of femininity, thus keeping alive the idea that women are naturally inferior. But in the last 40 years significant changes in the work place, in homes, and have influenced the American political system. The division of tasks that originally had been determined by physical differences became a matter of tradition. Consequently, even after machinery cancelled out the advantage of male strength and birth after birth control gave women the means to regulate their childbearing, women continued to face barriers to entering many occupations. But today there are much fewer barriers than before. Women have proved themselves in every field of work. But this changes occurred gradually yet consistently. The changes began with women's examination of their personal lives and developed into a program for social and political change. Women's groups discovered discrimination in the work place, where women received less pay and fewer promotions than men. They also uncovered barriers to women seeking political office and to female students striving for high academic achievements. Informal women's liberation groups, which were first formed by female students active in the civil rights movement and in radical political organizations emphasized self-awareness and open discussion to combat discrimination and to establish greater equality between men and women in marriage, child-rearing, education, and employment. Large, formal organizations developed alongside the small women's liberation groups that campaigned for the passage and strict enforcement of equal rights law. President John F. Kennedy's commission on the status of women, founded in 1961, discovered a number of legal barriers to women's equality. It reported on laws that barred women from jury service, 2006-06-16T15:19:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Status-of-Women-in-American-Sociey-29622.aspx The Lives of Middle-Eastern Women This population-based study by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) documents the degree to which Afghan women perceive 2006-06-16T15:16:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Lives-of-Middle-Eastern-Women-29621.aspx Learning Disabilities in Today's Children While researching children’s learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder, issues were brought to my attention, that I unfortunately, had never noticed. As I look back, even as far as elementary school, I remember children who were teased or made fun of, because they were “slow.” I now realize, almost all the children fit the disorder’s every description, and somehow still remained unnoticed by my peers and teachers. When looking at the topics from the LD/ADD website I chose gifted LD and self-esteem. I chose gifted LD because I had never thought of a person who had a learning disability to be gifted. This was a disorder that I never knew existed. In gifted LD, the child is exceptionally smart but has either a learning disability, or an emotional disorder, which prevents them from being in gifted programs. The children’s intelligence is then overlooked; ignoring all the children’s potential and instead focusing on the disabilities at hand. The saddest thing I learned about this disorder is, “ If students pass through public schools with one or both qualities unaddressed—and in most cases it's the giftedness left unnoted—research studies say it's more than likely such students will fall well short of their considerable potential for achievement and enter adulthood without skills to compensate for their learning disabilities. The result, numerous studies say: emotional turmoil, low self-esteem, and, probably, an academic washout.” This statement blows my mind. The fact that these students are above average, but will never reach their full potential, or for that matter, know they even have potential astounds me. It is my opinion that a teacher’s job is not only to recognize a problem but also to help try and solve it, and from this research, they are doing neither. In researching self-esteem, I was surprised to learn that high self esteem is connected to problem solving. Rather than answering for a child, it is better to help them, letting them reach their own conclusion. I was also interested to learn how easy it is to damage children with learning disabilities, self-esteem. Research shows that children with learning disabilities are more likely to suffer from lack of self-esteem than their peers, which adds to their frustration. I also learned about Scoptic Sensitivity Syndrome/ Irlen Syndrome. This is a perceptional problem, which 2006-06-16T15:13:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Learning-Disabilities-in-Today-s-Children-29619.aspx Thorough Analysis of Attention Deficit Disorder Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is much more prevalent in today’s society compared to previous generations. More and more people are being diagnosed at an alarming rate. To my surprise, I learned this disorder does not only affect children. There are many adults who suffer from it also. ADHD characteristics are neuro-biologically based, and they often change as the individual gets older. One does not out-grow ADHD even though the behaviors, or symptoms may not be exhibited in the same manner or with the same intensity. After learning this fact, I thought it would be very interesting to see how this disorder affects both children and college students. Therefore, I choose one journal article which relates ADHD to children, and the other which deals with the effects of ADHD on college students. The first journal article I researched, “An Intervention Approach for Children with Teacher and Parent Identified Attentional Difficulties,” explained that inattention, impulsivity, distractibility, and restlessness are all signs of a child with an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. “There are three subtypes of ADHD which have been defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as: predominantly inattentive, predominately hyperactive impulsive, and combined” (Semrud-Clekeman, Nielsen, Clinton, Sylvester, Parle, and Connor, 1999). Usually children who exhibit these subtypes have difficulty completing assignments, displaying high qualities of work, and maintaining good behaviors. Children with the hyperactivity-impulsivity subtype do not display significant attentional problems, though they are identified as young as pre-schoolers. However, symptoms of inattention don’t typically emerge until the later ages, which must be why the predominately inattentive and combined subtypes of ADHD have been found in older school-age children. These children who have been identified as having ADHD, show an inability to use effective problem solving over a period of time. When researchers looked at their brain structures, they found that the frontal-striatal regions are involved with the child’s ability to inhibit, focus, and shift attention. Researchers have formed interventions involving the behavioral or cognitive management of children with ADHD. Attention-training strategies, classroom-based contingency systems, home-school contingencies, and peer-mediated contingencies are examples of these interventions. In an effort to measure students with ADHD, in addition to medication and intervention strategies, researchers conducted two types of tests. The first test, the visual attention task, required the child to scan fourteen rows of d’s, each d had one to three marks around it. The child was instructed 2006-06-16T15:07:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thorough-Analysis-of-Attention-Deficit-Disorder-29615.aspx Analysis of Mexico's New Tax System Introduction: Because of all the fiscal leakage from the huge informal economy -not to mention an upper class with clever accountants- tax evasion ranks among Mexico's favourite pastimes. Mexico is Latin America's second-largest economy, but currently it has one of the region's lowest tax-collection rates: Mexico collects taxes worth only 11.2 percent of its gross domestic product. Countries such as Brazil and Chile collect more than 15 percent, and the United States takes even more. Over the last seven years, oil has accounted for between a fifth and a third of public income. Last year, the Finance Ministry had to cut spending several times to make up for falling oil prices. Mexico’s economics analysts reckoned that, effectively collected, taxes could, in a healthy way, boost government income and ease dependence on oil exports. President Vicente Fox sent to the congress a new tax law “initiative” that proposed to raise nearly 10 percent of total revenue, by means of applying a Value Added Tax (or IVA, according to its Spanish acronym) rate of 15% to the sales of food, medicine and press publications; all of which were currently tax-exempted. The reasoning of President Fox’s government departs from the position that the fiscal reform will bring, as a consequence, a firmer control in the short term over inflation, in spite of the increase of the IVA; diminutions of credit interest rates, and will reactivate the country’s economy to guarantee a maintained average growth of an annual 7%, with a consequent constant increase in employment and job creation levels, guaranteeing to increase the standard of living of the population. That sparked outrage among millions of average Mexicans, knocking down Fox's approval rating to about 50 percent from a high of 80 percent, according to independent surveys. Legislators said that the Fox plan would have punished the country's poor, who make up about 40 million of the country's total population of 100 million. The New Taxes and some of the Affected Stakeholders… Instead of looking for alternate, more conciliatory, measures to collect the needed resources; lawmakers approved, in a lightning, last minute session, a new tax code that is expected to add about 60 billion pesos to the finance ministry's coffers, half of what the government initially sought to collect in additional revenue when it submitted seven initiatives to revamp Mexico's tax laws in April. The new tax code pretends to increase the government’s budget 2006-06-16T15:05:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Mexico-s-New-Tax-System-29614.aspx Coping with Sibblings Do you have a brother or sister, who is a pest? I am one of the pest controllers for my twin sisters, who will stop at nothing to satisfy their endless list of needs. After eleven years of being an only child, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about having twin sisters appear in my life. Between the stories I had heard of the constant crying and the out-of-control tantrums that babies have, I wasn’t about ready to go into this willingly. I would have to put up with double the trouble, which would deprive me of the many advantages I had when I was an only child. I was stunned, when on the way home from picking up Chinese food at Yangtze, my mother said, “How would you like to have a sibling? I laughed at first, but my laughter soon turned into a serious reality of what it would be like to have a brother or sister. Having a brother might be cool, but I wasn’t looking forward to the responsibility I would have of taking care of him and watching him. I hadn’t even considered the thought of having sisters, better yet two. Thirty-eight weeks later on the day of delivery, I found out that I had twin sisters. I was ecstatic and jumping for joy. Yeah right. I was the first to see them up close. I saw two big, cute, newborn babies with their names, Brittany and Melanie, and their birth information on a sticker that was on the side of their basinets. When I first saw my sisters, they were fast asleep in their hospital basinets with a passiphire to prevent an outburst of crying, from two potential screech-professionals. After my sisters woke up, my parents told me that I should read to them. The first book I came across was Goodnight Moon, so I chose that one. Brittany and Melanie were sleeping on my lap, draining their milk bottles, and trying to pay attention to the story to the best of their abilities. Their eyes were glued to pages because this was their first real interaction with someone and the first time that they clearly heard someone’s voice. They loved it, and still love Goodnight Moon to this day. It was a very meaningful experience for all three of us, and we might not have been as close if I hadn’t seen them until they were 2006-06-16T14:36:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Coping-with-Sibblings-29596.aspx Examining Modern Behavior Modification The purpose of this assignment was to examine behaviour modification and its applications in various settings. Reinforcement is a key concept when determining the various methods of behaviour modification and its consequences. Some methods of behaviour modification are more effective than others and this modifies the respective consequence as a result. More thought must be given to the various consequence for a person’s action and this would eliminate numerous anxieties experienced through inappropriate behaviour. Social interaction is also greatly responsible for shaping our types of behaviour and the way in which we exhibit them. Behaviour modification is defined as ‘a systematic approach to changing behaviour through the application of the principles of conditioning’(Weiten, 2001. P.256). To encourage people to adopt more appropriate behaviour, techniques are used to reward someone when the correct behaviour is used and to admonish someone when they act inadvertently. As a result of this, a person’s actions are responsible for the particular outcome of the situation. These techniques have been adopted successfully in many environments such as schools, prisons and hospitals. The presumed assumption defining behaviour modification is that ‘we do what we do in order to minimise those events or stimulus that we, as individuals, find to be aversive’(O’Leary, 1972). With learned behaviour, there are always consequences that follow as a result of one’s actions and the extent of pleasure depends on the effectiveness of these actions. Consequences that immediately follow the behaviour are far more effective than consequences that are delayed. Reinforcement is a detailed concept that manipulates change and development in our behavioural patterns. Social Interaction is one of the primary determinants influencing the type and intensity of behaviour that we exhibit. We are subconsciously aware of what shapes and controls our behaviour due to the fact that we have not learned to recognise reinforcing stimulus. By learning to more carefully observe consequences of behaviour, habits can be adapted to derive the desired outcome. Behaviour that is rewarding is usually repeated, and behaviour that is discouraging is not likely to be repeated. Any stimulus that maintains or accelerates behaviour is said to be a positive reinforcer. Positive reinforcement of behaviour is the most effective way of increasing the rate of specific desired behaviours. This is due to 2006-06-15T16:20:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examining-Modern-Behavior-Modification-29549.aspx Example of how Stress can effect Children Disturbing, resilience, and courageous are merely a glimpse of how impacting the story of Mary Karr’s life was growing up as a child in an unpredictable home life. Reading about situations that Mary and her sister experienced made me think about my own childhood with its crisis and misfortunes. I myself have never come close to experiencing anything in my life like she had, but how she described the situations she endured made me feel her frustrations and vulnerabilities. Even with the difference in the time era from today Mary’s traumatic and stressful childhood growing up in the 60’s coincides with what we have been learning in this class. There are many examples that can be related to the information about stress and how it affects children in today’s society. The way she starts her memoir is like she is unfolding memories she had tucked away during the pecks of the stressful and at many times traumatic events she experienced during her early childhood. The way in which she begins makes it seem like she is standing in the room as the events unfold. Mary used the terms, “may have” and “ I suppose” to describe her feelings and some details about the night her mother was pronounced Nervous. She described the way of coping in a very powerful manor. “When the truth would be unbearable the mind often just blanks it out.” This idea makes Mary’s coping strategy when she was a child similar to denial. She erased many of the details of that night to defend herself from the magnitude of the event. Later, this seems to be a defense mechanism when the older neighborhood boy sexually assaulted her. She seemed to block out the memory until she was mature enough to understand what had happened. However other crisis situations she explains with much more detail as if she did not store them away to make them as if they had never happened. Mary as a child has coping skills to help her deal with her situations but at her young age her management skills were not yet developed enough. She did not seem to use management skills when dealing with her peers and pressures to void violent or hostile arguments. As the story of her life unfolded anticipatory coping was sometimes present in her young age. When again she 2006-06-15T15:53:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Example-of-How-Stress-Can-Effect-Children-29538.aspx Overview of Psycological Personality Tests To ask the question, “My theory of Personality” is a hard question to answer. I think the answer is one of many things. The personality that I have is much different from the one that you have. What I will do is use what I know about personality and also use information from other psychologist to answer this question. What I would like to call this theory is the “Myersonian theory of Personality”. A look at sixteen different personality types that I have constructed using the knowledge on my views of others and also the way in which my parents and sister saw people. I used the Biggs-Myers sixteen personality types as my basis of work and make my own spin off of what I think these sixteen stands for. So to ask the question, “My theory of Personality”, just keep reading and you will learn all about, “The Myersonian Theory of Personality”. The Idea behind the Briggs-Myers Questionnaire With the way in which I have grown up and the way in which I am a shy person, I have constructed my theory of personality around the way in which people act, the different attitudes that people have, and also the way in which people live their lives. I have chosen to use the BSM personality questionnaire along with my own spin off to the 16 personality types that are giving with the questionnaire. I thought that this fit my thoughts of personality perfectly. The BSM Consulting agency made up this questionnaire in 1998. The idea of taking this questionnaire is to determine your four-letter personality type. The questionnaire is designed mainly for adults of the western culture. The four letter types are broken down into different groups Sensing types and Intuitive types. Sub-groups are also shown, with thinking and feelings along with Extraverts and introverts of perceptive and judging. The questionnaire is used to determine your individual preferences and the way in which you yourself would handle situations. 16 Different Personality types Sensing types (Introverts) ~ISTJ (with thinking, Judging) ~ISTP (with thinking, Perceptive) ~ISFJ (with feeling, Judging) ~ISFP (with feeling, Perceptive) Sensing types (Extraverts) ~ESTP (with thinking, Judging) ~ESTJ (with thinking, Perceptive) ~ESFP (with feeling, Judging) ~ESFJ (with feeling, Perceptive) Intuitive types (Introverts) ~INFJ (feeling, Judging) ~INFP (feeling, Perceptive) ~INTJ (thinking, Judging) ~INTP (thinking, Perceptive) Intuitive types (Extraverts) ~ENFP (feeling, Judging) ~ENFJ (feeling, Perceptive) ~ENTP (thinking, Judging) ~ENTJ (thinking, Perceptive) ISTJ There are people 2006-06-15T00:40:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-Psycological-Personality-Tests-29524.aspx How Does Sleep Really Work for Us? We all know what sleep looks like, but how many people know how sleep works. Also how many people have stopped to think how sleep works. In this paper 2006-06-14T23:56:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Does-Sleep-Really-Work-for-Us-29518.aspx Deviance in Athletics Nature always has a way of balancing itself out, and in my opinion, deviant behavior is no exception. For every report we read about how playing in a sports program has kept someone off the streets and out of a life of crime, we come across another about excessive violence or drug use by an athlete. Sports definitely discourage off the field problems, but they also bring about a whole new set of on the field problems. Playing sports brings out the competitive sides of many athletes. To most athletes, winning is everything, and they will do absolutely anything to make sure they win, including the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The idea of athletes using drugs has always been a hot topic, and will probably remain that way. In a recent article, Matt Bernard summed it up best – “We expect our athletes to celebrate nature and the body beautiful, but we also demand that they win competitions. What’s a jock to do?” (Bernard, 1998) World class athletes are pushed harder than anyone in the world, by fans, by coaches, by themselves. To succeed at a top level today, you almost have to use some type of performance-enhancing drug. According to the conflict theory, everything in sports begins with the financial aspect. The drive professional athletes have, despite what they may say about their love of the game, is usually their astronomical salaries. In most of the professional sports leagues, the salary you are given is based solely on how well you perform. The players with the highest stats are always the highest paid, and most athletes will do anything it takes to improve their personal game. Since so many players are using drugs today to be bigger, faster, and stronger, more up and coming athletes are forced into using supplements just to keep up. People today accept moderate drug use as “just part of the game,” while only 20 years ago it was a scandal to even be mentioned in the same breath with drugs. According to the interactionist theory, people play sports as a means to develop their own personality and identity. They use the opinions of their teammates, opponents, coaches, and fans as a way to discover themselves. This type of thinking can often lead players to succumb to peer 2006-06-14T23:32:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Deviance-in-Athletics-29502.aspx Psychological Aspects of Dreams They are a gateway to another world and another place. Sometimes they are related to life and sometimes they are so out there they are unfathomable, but they are a part of everyone. Whether remembered or forgotten, everybody dreams. They are a chance to let go and let your mind run free. My dream was very random and strange, but was so intense my dream bordered on reality. I am walking to my dorm. It is August, yet the air blowing is quite chilly. Why is the air so cold in this time of the year? I search for my ID card in order to get into my building. I walk into the building and head for the elevator. I walk up to the panel and push the up button, and wait for the elevator. Finally the elevator comes. I walk in and push the button for the fifth floor. As the elevator goes up, I impatiently wait to get off. The elevator finally stops and the doors slowly open. As I walk to what I believe is my door I see a young pregnant woman walking around the floor. This woman keeps asking me whether or not I have seen her baby. I told her that I have not and I continue towards my room. As I walk down the barely lit hall I cannot find my room. I search and search, but my room is not here. I am going to sit in the common room and cry. Out of nowhere this man is coming towards me. Who is he? He has a shaved head, and he is talking to me. He kind of looks like my surgeon, from when I had my thumb surgery. He is talking to me, but it sounds mumbled. I cannot understand him. As I stand up, I realize that I am on the wrong floor. Then I wake up. When I woke up I was so sure that this dream was real. I felt like I had been crying. My legs 2006-06-14T23:26:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Aspects-of-Dreams-29498.aspx Side Effects of a Lack of Sleep Do you suffer from sleep deprivation? Most teenagers need 8-12 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep can cause delayed reactions or even learning disorders. Prolonged loss of sleep occurs for physical and mental reasons and has harmful physical and mental effects to the human body. Prolonged sleep is caused by many different functions of the body. An important cause of prolonged sleep is a teenagers biological phase-delay or a tendency to fall asleep and wake up at different times. Changes that occur at puberty in the internal body clock governing their circadian biological rhythms can cause them to sleep irregularly(Johnson, 3). Another good reasons why teenagers do not get enough sleep is because they simply do not make time for it. Some schoolwork, sports, jobs, girlfriends or boyfriends may take up most of a teenagers time or cause them to have stressful sleep(Johnson 3). Sleep deprivation can cause slow reactions of time. It may also cause headaches and nightmares more frequently. The mind will fall asleep if it cannot get enough sleep causing it to not function properly. Some side symptoms of chronic lack of sleep are feeling fatigue or depression as body becomes drained (Haynes). A major problem caused by sleep deprivation is behavioral changes such as: irritability, short temper, impatience, and stressful situations with more anger or sadness, also can cause more fear than they would normally have. If you continue to have prolonged lack of sleep your immune systems will begin to break down and become unstable to fight diseases (Haynes). To show how this is caused the researcher has done a study on how much sleep he/she got and how they felt that day. Sleep deprivation has many harmful effects and there are some reasons you cannot stop prolonged lack of sleep. Sleep is essential to the studying and learning if you do not get enough sleep the mind can shut down from not having enough rest and can harm the human body. Works Cited Haynes, Kendra. "Into bed late, out of bed late." Studies show teens perform better when sleeping late. April 24, 1997. Http://lps.k12.co.us/schools/littleton/activities/newspapper/1996_7/v49i6/ef.htm February 20, 2002 Hemos. "This-explains-my-college-years." Sleep deprivation increases brain activity. February 11, 2002. Online. Forum. Http://slahsdot.org/articles.pl? February 20, 2002. Johnson, Kyle P. "The sleepy teenager." Harvard Mental Health Letter. Novembor 2001: 3. Online. Letter. Http://ehostvgw7.epenet.com/fulltext.asp? February 12, 2002. Love, Aileen. "How much sleep do kids need?" Parenting. September 2000: 35. 2006-06-14T23:10:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Side-Effects-of-a-Lack-of-Sleep-29490.aspx Psychological Significance of First Impressions In today’s wired society it important that you make a good impression with whomever you come in contact with. It has become more important because we as a people are 2006-06-13T18:44:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Significance-of-First-Impressions-29449.aspx High Employee Turnover in Asia Software Companies Background: The software industry in Sri Lanka is still in its infancy. However, it is an industry which has shown one of the highest growth rates in the last five years. The revenue earned by the software exports has grown to Rs. 55 million in year 2000, from almost nothing from the year 1996. It has been predicted that this high growth rate will continue in the near future. There are about 30 major software firms in Colombo (with employee strengths more than 50) that cater almost entirely to the global market. One salient feature differentiates the software industry from any other industry is that the notably high dependability on the skilled human capital. The success of any software firm is largely determined by the skills and the competence of its software programmers. For this reason the skilled programmers are usually offered impressive salaries and benefits, than what their counterparts in the other industries receive. Although no detailed studies have been done in this area the general belief is that most of the software companies show high employee turnover rates. This has become a major concern for the following reasons: The direct negative effect to the business continuity of the firm created by the programmers leaving in the middle of the projects The loss of the financial investment spent on training the programmers The cost and the effort necessary to find replacements from the highly competitive job market The possibility of the competitors getting the business and technical secrets of the firm from the employees who change over Objective: The objectives of this study are to: Assess the criticality of the employee turnover problem to the Sri Lankan software firms Find the reasons for the high employee turnover in the software firms Determine how such reasons can be eliminate by proper human resource planning to minimise the employee turnover rates Significance of the study: The findings of this study will be important to the managements of the Sri Lankan software firms and HR Managers of those firms for HR planning process. Methodology: The suggested methodology of this study involves: An Information gathering from the software programmers in selected software firms about their expectations, career objectives and working conditions offered to them to determine the reasons behind the frequent changeovers. (The information gathering will be done in the form of a survey using questionnaires) An Information gathering from the CEOs / HR managers of the selected Sri 2006-06-13T18:34:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/High-Employee-Turnover-in-Asia-Software-Companies-29443.aspx Study of Cross Cultural Psychology The fathers in the video played different roles during the birth of their children. Manoel Oliveira wasn’t present during the birth of his son Sydney, while David Kaufman was with his wife Barbara from the start of labor until the end of delivery. There are varying reasons for the different roles that the two fathers played in the births. The two fathers were from very different cultures. Manoel and his family live in Brazil, and the Kaufmans are from New York City. These two cultures expend different expectations on the role that a mother and father should play in a child’s life from birth. The Oliveira family is large and Maria takes care of the children while Manoel works to support them. Sydney will be their 6th child, and Manoel is at work when Maria goes into labor. It is not financially feasible for Manoel to leave work to be with his wife while she gives birth to their son. In contrast, David Kaufman waits for the day their baby will be born and is just as excited as his wife. As a result it’s ok for him to take off of work to be with his wife, it would be strange if he chose to be at work instead. American society looks down on fathers who don’t see their children and families as a number one priority. So, David stays in the delivery room with Barbara from start to finish, and they gaze at their daughter together for the first time. It’s a bonding experience for the whole family. The differences in the roles of these two fathers at the birth of their children have everything to do with the culture they were raised in. David was probably taught from an early age that a father should be a large part of his children’s lives, or it’s been ingrained by the mass media, and peers. The workings of a culture involve shared customs, values, and behavior. This includes marriage practices, and parental roles. These things are taught to and learned by individuals in that culture, as a result from a young age children begin to know the role they should have in the world when they grow up. Another difference in the culture of Brazil and that of the U.S. is that Brazil is more of a Collectivistic society, while America is much more 2006-06-13T18:28:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-Cross-Cultural-Psychology-29440.aspx The Government and Economy of Italy In this essay I will talk about Europe’s organization in general, and why I’m very proud to be European! The focus will be on my country in details, its actual government, values and the general economic situation in the last years. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL. An era of parliamentary government came close in the 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. That period was very bad for the whole Nation, people didn’t really understand, at the beginning what was going on when Mussolini took office. He was a very proud man, a dictator with a clear project: make of Italy a known place all over the world. What he wanted actually happened, but it was not what Italians had figured to happen in their immediate future. The Government has always been a fictitious issue. When somebody is elected as Prime Minister, there is no way to remove him from his office. The term lasts five years. Five years is a very long time, and lots of things can happen. Although there is a President, his only function is to represent the Nation and encourage people in bad moments. The Prime Minister is at the head of the Government. Some of the legislative powers are in his hands, and some belongs to the Parliament. The Parliament consist of the Senate (315 seats elected by popular vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected by regional proportional representation plus, in addition, there are a small number of senators-for-life including former presidents of the republic; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (630 seats; 475 are directly elected, 155 by regional proportional representation; members serve five-year terms). The confusing thing is the period preceding elections. This is because there are so many parties, that most of the time people are not able to understand the difference between them. They make coalitions between each other; the most of the time only with the purpose to have more chances to win. This is very unproductive. During the days before the elections, politicians make promises to each other and to the populations. They try to catch each other before somebody else does. Sometimes it’s 2006-06-13T17:33:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Government-and-Economy-of-Italy-29411.aspx Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy for Mental Disorders Since its introduction to the world in the mid 1930’s, electroconvulsive shock therapy, or ECT, has been one of the most effective and least understood treatments in psychiatry. The technique itself has changed in many ways since its conception and is now considered a safe and effective treatment of patients with major depressive disorder, manic episodes, schizophrenia, and other serious mental disturbances. However, the neurobiological changes critical to the therapeutic success of ECT have not yet been fully understood. Such a knowledge gap has led to an inaccurate portrayal of ECT in the media and misconceptions about ECT being held by many patients, lay people, and even health care professionals. “Convulsive therapy was introduced in 1934 in Europe by Ladislaus von Meduna as a treatment for catatonic schizophrenia. He induced seizures by the injection of camphor in oil but soon replaced camphor with metrazol because of its solubility and rapid onset of action. Also in 1934, Cerletti and Bini pioneered the use of electricity to induce seizures. Electrical-induced convulsions were more safe, reliable, and inexpensive than the camphor-induced convulsion” (Willoughby 12). According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “the number of ECT procedures performed in the United States exceeds coronary bypass, appendectomy, or hernia repair” (Nobler 305). While the most common application of ECT is for psychological disorders, the uses of ECT range from major depression and schizophrenia to cancer and Parkinson’s disease (305). Although it’s mechanism of action is not understood, studies by the American Journal of Psychiatry showed a decrease in the level of glucose metabolism in the cerebral cortex of the brain following ECT. The “decreased neuronal activity” is consistent with potential anticonvulsant and antidepressant effects (305). In order for a patient to undergo ECT, the patient must give “informed consent” (Irvin 578). The patient and family members are informed of the risks and potential side effects including: anoxia during the seizure, memory loss, death rate of one per 10,000 treatments, and ventricular arrhythmias (578). During the procedure, ECT electrodes are placed on the head either bilaterally or unilaterally. The patient is given a muscle relaxant and a short-acting general anesthetic for sedation. An electrical current is applied to induce a grand mal seizure. The seizure must last at least 25 seconds to be effective. It 2006-06-13T17:31:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Electroconvulsive-Shock-Therapy-for-Mental-Disorders-29410.aspx Isolating Feelings of being a Teenager The teenager is a creature far different from that of any other. These strange beings are classified into the species of the homo sapiens ranging from thirteen to eighteen years of age. Through the years, it seems that a teenager has grown more to be a separate class in itself rather than a certain time period in life. Although teenagers are really almost a separate sub- species of the human race, none of them are really quite the same. The teenager may be divided into three separate categories ranging from the radical, moderate, and conservative. The "radical" teenager may be best described as one going to all extremes to try and prove something that nobody else can really understand. Punks, stoners, new- wavers, skaters, surfers, and other similar people fall into this category. The "moderate" sub-species of the teenager may best be described as the classic teenager, or really a teenager who epitomizes most of the qualities of a "normal" teenager. This category comprises the widest range of people and could definitely be sub-divided within itself. This particular category of teenager is slightly vague as it can range from teenagers such as "jocks" to "brains". The last of these categories, the "conservative" teenager describes the class of teenagers who follow the rules and teachings of the adult world without a complaint or rejection. One will most likely find a "conservative" teen in the front of the classroom trying to get as close to the teacher's desk as possible. One will find that this person is usually quite timid and quiet the majority of the time. The description of any of these abstract creatures is quite difficult because of the vast difference in each one's features. These beings may range from 3 feet in height up to around 7 feet. They can be either tall, fat, thin, short, ugly, attractive, intelligent, slow, fast, responsible, irresponsable or a variety of several more features humanly possible. The "radical" and "moderate" teenagers are usually quite unpredictable and can usually never be trusted. The vast majority of teenagers begin to actually think and reason for the first time in their life and begin to have contrasting beliefs from what they have been taught by their 2006-06-13T03:12:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Isolating-Feelings-of-Being-a-Teenager-29397.aspx Piaget's Theory of Child Develpoment In this story about a 2006-06-12T21:16:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Piaget-s-Theory-of-Child-Develpoment-29387.aspx Government's Involvement in the American Economy In the article “The Economy Needs More Big Government – Now” it is in the opinion of the author that the US Government step up and be more aggressive in their stance in stabilizing the economy and beefing up our health system. I agree with the article in the sense that before when the economy was stronger, the country basically ran itself. Now that the country has been crippled, I feel that the government should step up and act like a parent coming to rescue her injured child. The government has the means to revitalize the economy and to be the strong force that pushes along the recovery effort. By slashing interest rates and encouraging investors and restoring consumer confidence the economy can turn around. However, this is a bandaid that can only be applied by the US government. If ever before, now is the time that the economy does in fact need “more big government.” In “Economic Trends” the first article discussed the weakening value of the US dollar across the globe. The downtrend on the value of the dollar will in turn weaken the overall global economy by dragging down consumption and investment overseas and potentially damage financial systems in other countries which rely on the US dollar as “safe” currency. Big exporters such as Japan and Germany will potentially find it hard to sell to American businesses and consumers since the falling dollar inevitably means higher prices for imports. Also, with the economy being so strong in the 1990s, many foreign companies issued debt in dollars. If the dollar falls, those bonds would all become much less valuable to the investors holding them and in turn much more of a problem for the global financial system. A second article featured in “Economic Trends” concerned increased domestic natural gas production. The argument is that the US needs to rely less on overseas suppliers of natural gas and rely more heavily on domestic produced gas. Reports show that tax credits in the 1990s increased natural gas production and it is in the opinion of many that tax credit needs to be issued again today in 2001. It is necessary to do such considering the position that the country is in economically and in regards to our crippled relationship with foreign nations which function 2006-06-12T21:13:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Government-s-Involvement-in-the-American-Economy-29385.aspx Displays of Abnormal Psychology Addictions and mental illnesses are the primary parts of abnormal psychology. Abnormal psychology is misunderstood among people of the world today. Most people do not understand the scientific reasoning or actual illness behind the symptom(s). People also tend to judge or mock things that they haven’t experienced or do not understand. Kleptomania is a rare condition that appears to occur in less than 5% of identified shoplifters. Females appear to be much more prone to be a klepto then males. The main cause of Kleptomania is failure to keep themselves from stealing things even though they have no personal use or value to what they steal. Individuals with this disorder will generally avoid stealing when they see a police officer standing around somewhere and think they will get caught and go to jail. They usually do not preplan the thefts or think about the consequences. The stealing is done without assistance of other people. Kleptomania should be distinguished from ordinary acts of theft or shoplifting. Ordinary theft (whether planned or unplanned) is motivated by greed and coveting something of worth. Some individuals, especially adolescents, may also steal on a dare, as an act of rebellion, or to get into a clique. Some sexual behaviors might be viewed as obsessive or compulsive if they are not viewed within their developmental context. Adolescents, for example, can become "obsessed" with sex for long periods of time. In adulthood, it is common for individuals to go through periods when sexual behavior may take on obsessive and compulsive characteristics. For example, in the early stages of romance, there is a natural developmental period where an individual might be obsessed with their partner and compelled to seek out their company and express affection. These are normal and healthy developmental processes of sexual development and must be clearly distinguished. Behaviors that are in conflict with someone's value system may be problematic but not obsessive-compulsive. Having sexual problems is common. Problems are often caused by a number of non-pathological factors. People can make mistakes. They can at times act impulsively. Their behavior can cause problems in a relationship. Some people will use sex as a coping mechanism similar to the use of alcohol, drugs, or eating. This pattern of sexual behavior can be problematic. Problematic sexual behavior is often remedied by time, experience, education or counseling. Obsessive and compulsive behavior, by its nature, is 2006-06-12T21:01:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Displays-of-Abnormal-Psychology-29378.aspx Examining the Biological Side of Psychology Biology is an important part in a psychology course. Psychobiology is the area of psychology that focuses on the biological foundations of behavior and mental processes. The affects of drug addictions, behavioral disorders, sleep disturbances, memory, alterations in conscious awareness, and pain are all examples of the necessity of psychobiology during the biology chapters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals released by the synaptic vesicles that travel across the synaptic space and affect adjacent neurons. Major neurotransmitters can affect everything from movement to schizophrenia to memory. Acteylcholine affects arousal, attention, memory, motivation, and movement. But too much of this neurotransmitter can cause spasms and tremors while too little may cause paralysis and torpor. Dopamine, an inhibitor, inhibits a wide range of behavior and emotions including pleasure. It is also implicated in schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Another inhibitor, serotonin, reduces virtually all activities. It is important for sleep onset, mood, and eating behavior. Norepinephrine affects arousal, wakefulness, learning, memory, and mood. Endorphins are an extremely important neurotransmitter. They inhibit the transmission of pain messages, or in other words, endorphins are the body’s natural painkiller. Drug abuse can alter every aspect of that person’s life. Substance abuse is defined as a pattern of drug use that diminishes the ability to fulfill responsibilities at home or at work or school, that results in repeated use of a drug in dangerous situations, or that leads to legal difficulties related to drug use. Depressants, such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opium derived substances, slow down behavior or cognitive processes. The social costs of alcohol abuse are high. Alcohol is involved in more than two – thirds of all fatal automobile accidents, two – thirds of all murders, two – thirds of all spouse beatings, and more than half of all cases of violent child abuse. Barbiturates, or “downers” as they are commonly called, are strikingly similar to alcohol. Both cause slurred speech, loss of inhibition, increases in aggression, and poor motor coordination. The opiates include drugs such as heroin and morphine. These drugs produce feelings of euphoria, well – being, and relaxation with severe withdraw symptoms after becoming addicted. The withdraw symptoms consist of prolonged periods of sleep lasting up to 12 hours, severe cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, along with convulsive shaking and 2006-06-12T20:54:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examining-the-Biological-Side-of-Psychology-29373.aspx Explain the role in the global economy of International organizations Globalization is the actual movement or potential to move across borders of nations in areas of trade, investment, technology, finance and labor. It has resulted in increasing financial flows and trade between countries, as each country tries to establish itself into the global economy, and gaining the benefits associated with globalization. This has resulted in the formation of numerous International organizations that aim at promoting policy coordination amongst countries and attempt to provide rules and investment transactions and a forum for discussion of trade related issues. Such international organizations are, the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), The World Bank, Organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD), Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the Group Seven (G7). The WTO is the main multilateral trading agreement which provides a forum for countries to promote free trade and resolve trade disputes. Its various roles include enforcing the existing WTO agreement, resolving disputes, and liberalising world trade by implementing global trade agreements. These agreements lay ground rules, that promote cooperation between countries. The WTO also exists in order to provide non-discrimination between member countries, liberalisation of trade which involves the removal of all tariff and non-tariff barriers, stability of trading relations where WTO mechanisms are set up to discuss and solve trade disputes between countries, and Transparancy of trade agreements, where trade preferences between countries are scrutinised and discussed in the WTO forum thereby reducing corruption. Without the WTO, globalisation would be a struggling process as countries would have difficulty organising trade policies, often resulting in many countries at a disadvantage. In essence the WTO serves as a forum to ensure that all its member countries benefit from globalisation. The IMF is an international organisation established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth, a stable economic environment, high levels of employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment. This assistance is given to countries if economic policy is met, known as “structural adjustment policies”. These policies are aimed to decrease the size of the government, privitising government business enterprises and deregulating markets. Without the IMF, poorer countries will find themselves without assistance, and at a point where they cannot acheive economic growth, poorer areas within the country will be stagnate, and contrasting to the growing richer economies 2006-06-12T11:22:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Role-of-International-Organisations-in-the-Global-Economy-29323.aspx Analyze the impact of protectionist policies on the domestic and global economies. Free Trade occurs when there are no artificial barriers between nations imposed by governments in order to restrict trade. When barriers such as protectionist policies exist, free trade becomes restricted. Protection is essentially defined as any action by national governments that will give an artificial competitive advantage to domestic producers over foreign producers. National governments will aim to protect or shelter their nation from the disadvantages of free trade, through protectionist policies in the form of subsidies, tariffs, local content rules, quotas, export incentives and voluntary export restraints. Reasons for protection include “The Infant Industry argument “ which states that some industries in a given country may develop a comparative advantage if only they are sheltered from foreign competition for a while, by means of temporary protection. So if, in the future the infant industries ‘grow up’ and form a comparative advantage, the domestic economy will gain access to a larger demand market, creating an injection into the economy, resulting in increased economic activity and employment. The domestic protection argument rather states that because free trade, and increased global competition can result in structural unemployment. It has hence become apparent that infant industries need to be protected, dumping prevented, domestic employment sustained and the defence and self sufficiency of a nation ensured. The infant industry argument outlines the need for protection in order to establish industries that can form a comparative advantage in the future, if sheltered from competition for a little while. This ultimately means a reduction in free trade, which would otherwise have brought the advantage of advanced technology, imports and managerial methods. However if these industries do grow up, and protection is successfully removed, those industries are able to provide more goods and services in an increasingly competitive environment meaning those firms will be forced to reduce prices and adopt more efficient work practices. Therefore even if protection does exist, global economies will still gain access to a wider variety of commodities imported from other countries in the long term as well as technology, thereby raising competition between products, and potentially increasing living standards in the future. Voluntary export restraints are agreements between national governments and foreign suppliers to limit the amount of exports to an importing country. They are usually agreed upon by suppliers in order to avoid the placement of tariffs. This has the 2006-06-12T11:21:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-Impact-of-Protectionism-on-Domestic-and-Global-Economies-29322.aspx Economic Essay – Globalization “Analyze the impact of globalization on economic growth, quality of life, and external stability of global economies” Globalization, an important characteristic within the contemporary economic environment, has resulted in significant changes to individual nations in terms of economic development strategies undertaken by national governments. The term globalization refers to the integration of local and international economies into a globally unified political economic and cultural order, and is not a singular phenomenon, but a term to describe the forces that transform an economy into one characterized by the embracement of the freer movement of trade, investment, labor and capital. The drive for globalization has resulted in greater economic growth globally, through the opening up of barriers to international trade, yet this increase in world output is often associated with detrimental effects in relation to the stability of a national economy, being susceptible to the ups and downs of the international business cycle and also both positive and negative effects on the standards of living or quality of life with in a nation. It is often difficult to categories an economy as being globalized, yet there are several key indicator that suggest economic management decisions undertaken by the govt have come as a result of globalization. The main evidence to suggest the globalization of nations has been the growth in global markets, changes in global consumption patterns, the establishment of intergovernmental agreements as well as the rise of transnational corporations. Globalization has been essentially driven by the breaking down of economic barriers between nations over recent decades that have resulted in greater worldwide economic growth. This economic liberalization has been spurred on by the global trend towards the deregulation of national economies as well as reforms to encourage greater competitiveness with in the global markets. As a result of the microeconomic reforms, globally there has been a general reduction of restrictions on trade, capital flows and foreign investments. In addition to this, technological advancements over the last half century have contributed to this “economic liberalization” where as a result of this technology growth, transport costs have reduced dramatically, making trade more cost efficient. Communication costs have also reduced through advancements in telecommunications and e-commerce resulting in escalated movements in international finance. Through these increases in trade and financial flows, countries have experienced increased level of economic growth over time that has contributed to the world standards of living. The global population 2006-06-12T11:19:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Globalization-29321.aspx The Global Economy and Globalization - 2005 While there is a great deal of talk about the 'Global Economy' and 'Globalisation', they are often spoken of, as if everyone understands what is meant by the terms or, alternatively, as giant mysterious forces that control the world, that no one has any knowledge or understanding of. The aim of this paper is to examine the 'Global Economy' and 'Globalisation' and to see what is happening in these areas. The Global Economy The Global economy is the world economy. It is the economic activity going on in the world. It is the combined economic activity that takes place in each individual economy plus the activity between countries. It includes all production, trade, financial flows, investment, technology, labour and economic behaviour in nations and between nations. Economists try to predict trends in the world economy by applying models that demonstrate how changes in certain economic variables or factors have affected the domestic or global economy previously. In our current economic environment these tools are becoming more limited. In recent years the state of the domestic and global economies have been largely influenced by non-economic factors. Factors that economists could never predict. These include the terrorist attacks of September 11th and subsequent terrorist attacks, the outbreak and spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus and the war in Iraq. These factors have had great influence on the state of the global economy in the last 4 years, and these, and similar events, will continue to do so into the future. The most recent factor to impact on the global economy has been the increase in the world price for oil and the subsequent and future rises in the price of fuel throughout the world. Uncertainty discourages consumer and investment spending and subsequently economic growth. Despite this the global economy grew 5.1 percent in 2004 but is expected to slow to 4.3 percent in 2005(Figure 1). In the later half of 2003 and early 2004, global growth was averaging about 6 percent. In the second half of 2004 it began to moderate, accompanied by a significant slowdown in industrial production and global trade (Figures 1 and 2), reflecting both a return to a more sustainable pace of expansion and the adverse impact of higher oil prices. The IMF (2005) considers that the most 2006-06-12T10:38:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Global-Economy-29300.aspx Sigmund Freud and the Analysis of Dreams PART I Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in what is now Pribor, Czech Republic. He moved to Vienna, Austria in 1860 and Freud began school at Vienna University in 1875. In 1881, Freud qualified as a doctor of medicine. Freud researched medicinal effects of coca, hypnotherapy, and in 1895, he began to analyze his own dreams. PART II Freud formed his theory of dreaming, published in The Interpretation of Dreams, by the analysis of his own dreams. He kept a journal of his dreams, reflected on them, and concluded that dreams are the fulfillment of wishes, whether conscious or not. Freud said that all dreams contain common elements such as a childhood memory, possibly a conflict or an emotionally-charged experience. This early memory is blended with events from the past few days that relate to it. These recent events are called “day residue”. While dream analysis seems to be a simple process, early childhood memories or traumas are often repressed. An “inner censor” has hidden the dreamer’s true wishes. The inner censor distorts the dream’s meaning. Often, the features of many different people are compressed into one character. The censor can also transfer comments for one person to a different one in the dream, and sometimes substitute a symbol for a person. “… A father may become a king, a mother a cupboard, a child an animal.” (Muckenhoupt) The censor changes verbal thoughts into visual images, and other symbols can take the form of verbal cues. Once the censoring process is complete, the unconscious conflict has been changed and manipulated into symbolic content. When the person awakes he or she must make sense of the symbols and force a “logical structure” onto the dream. Freud wrote, “A dream is the (disguised) fulfillment of a (suppressed, repressed) wish.” (Muckenhoupt) Since a dream is simply a symbol for a deeper desire, the psychoanalyst must “decode” the latent content in order to find out what the subconscious is bringing out. A common type of dream that Freud dealt with was the anxiety dream. Some dreams of this type result from sexual wishes where this sexual energy, or libido, is converted into anxiety. This is especially true when the wish is revealed too clearly in the dream. Other times, the cause 2006-06-12T01:29:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sigmund-Freud-and-the-Analysis-of-Dreams-29248.aspx Importance of Parental Support in Child Development Each child develops in his or her own ways, while all children follow a similar path in the acquisition of speech, motor skills and emotional maturity. There is wide variation in how and when these milestones are achieved. During the first year, infants learn to control their attention and movements, sharpen their vision and hearing, and develop beginning on communication skills. Toddlers work at bonding with parents, learning to separate from them and developing autonomy. The school years are time for mastering 2006-06-11T18:52:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Importance-of-Parental-Support-in-Child-Development-29197.aspx How Information Technology is Boosting Australia's Economy Information Technology (IT) or Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The Australian ICT Sector includes computer services, telecommunication services, and some selected manufacturing and wholesale trade industries. It helps to create jobs, products/services and exports. The industry also has an impact on the productivity of virtually all other industries. The ICT industry has undergone significant change since the Australian Beaureu of Statistics last conducted a survey in 1996. The total income for the sector in June 1999 was almost $63billion that’s and increase of 28% when compared to June 1996. Video and computer games are a big factor in the rise. Australian companies like UbiSoft are beginning to break into American and Japanese controlled market. UbiSoft’s hit game Dark Reign sold worldwide and was voted as the strategic game for ’97/’98. Codemasters is another example; they have been able to break into the English market with their hit games Shane Warne Cricket and Colin McRae Rally. This is also quite helpful for other Australian companies because it boosts credibility of Australian developers and makes other Australian games more readily accepted on the market. Although software development is up hardware development has taken a dive, with earnings slipping from nearly $2 billion down to just over $1.1 billion. This drop in earnings has caused severe job cuts in this sector, from 5,700 jobs down to 2, 400 that is nearly a 57.2% in job losses from 1996. The industry is now benefiting from services, such as Computer Consultancy. Revenue from 1996 has jumped up almost 46% in 1999. Another service that is benefiting the industry is Data Processing. With jobs increasing in number. In 1996 employment was 5,291 jobs to an increase in 1999 of 7,174 jobs. That is an increase of 35.6% over 3 years. There are many positive impacts of the ICT industry on the economy. For example it boosts Australia’s exports around the world. In 2000 New Zealand increased its purchasing of Australian ICT products and services by a staggering 13.8%. It is creating many jobs for Australia’s unemployed. In the computer services sector alone there has been massive 35.2% increase in the amount of people employed. One Negative impact of the ICT industry on the economy is job losses. Even though it creates jobs ICT also causes some job losses, such as Electric Cable 2006-06-11T02:59:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Information-Technology-is-Boosting-Australia-s-Economy-29192.aspx Effects of Stress and Balancing Stress in the Workplace 1. Introduction Stress is a very complex phenomenon. It is very much a personal condition and individuals vary in their ability to cope with different forms and levels of stress. In fact we all need some level of stress, as stimulus, to get going and live (Green 1993). However, higher levels of stress can greatly affect individual and organisational performance. It is not a stress-free environment that organisations and individuals need to aim for at work but a stress-controlled one, which is beneficial for everybody. It is important for organisations to recognise this and apply appropriate methods and processes to reduce stress. Creation of an inclusive, participative, inspirational and respectful work environment would not only reduce stress at work but also improve individual and organisational performance. 2. How Does Stress Affect Performance? This section explains the linkage between stress and performance. A specific work related definition by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH 1999) defines work stress as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not mach the capabilities, resources and the needs of the worker. Stress can lead to poor health and even injury. A certain degree of stress is necessary for good mental and physical health. This is termed ‘eustress’. To much stress can lead to ‘distress’. Hawkins (1994, p.14) states that ‘…too much or too little stress can have deleterious effects on performance with resultant effects on the health of the individual and the organisation.’ (see Figure 2.1) Stress can arise in white as well as blue-collar occupations. Surveys have found little difference between white and blue-collar workers in terms of somatic complaints, health, life satisfaction, depression or other indicators of stress (Jones 1999). However, sources of stress are thought to differ between white and blue-collar workers. According to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI 1990), sources of work-related stress can be grouped into four general categories: • Work load - too much work; too little work; work too difficult; work too easy. • Work conditions - organisational structure; office politics; poor job design; organisational culture; low work control and autonomy. • Work patterns - shift works; repetitive work; machine-paced work. • Work roles - role ambiguity; conflicting job demands; conflict between job and personal commitment. American Psychological Association (APA 1996) reported that in recent insurance industry studies, nearly half of American workers say their job is “very or extremely 2006-06-11T02:57:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Stress-and-Balancing-Stress-in-the-Workplace-29191.aspx Women Entering the Workforce Leading to Greater Equality How often do you see a woman as an executive in charge of a large company? And of those women that have succeeded into these positions, how many of them have families at home? Not all that many. It seems that the way society looked at women in the past has hindered them from succeeding in both the family and career aspects simultaneously. Many women choose one or the other. Either to raise a family of their own or to pursue their career, especially if their career choice is not one of the jobs considered being “women’s work”. In the past women were looked at as the more nurturing of the sexes and that is why they typically stayed at home and raised the family while the men went out and brought home the bacon so to speak. If you have ever seen the television shows of the 50’s you would have noticed that most of the families on these shows consisted of a father that worked a nine to five job, a couple of kids, and a mother. The mother was a housewife who’s sole duties were to raise the children, clean the house and have a hot meal on the table for her husband as he returned home from work. In many instances the women on these shows never worked out side of the home and when they did decided to try they normally failed and at the end of the show realized that their place was in the home raising the children. Never once did I ever see a show that while the woman decided to give a career a try that the man stayed at home and took care of the children, and not once did I see one of these women succeed and stick with her job. But this is changing. More often then not women in today’s society are going out there and starting careers of their own. And these are not necessarily careers that are in the category of women’s work. Many of these women are going out and getting positions that would normally not be considered “women’s work”. What I mean by women’s work is those jobs that are normally possessed by women. Such as waitressing, secretarial work, teaching elementary 2006-06-11T01:43:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-Entering-the-Workforce-Leading-to-Greater-Equality-29156.aspx Following the Development of the Economic and Monetary Union The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is a single currency area within the European Union in which people, goods, services and capital move without restriction. Imperative to the success of the EMU is the implementation of a single European currency, the Euro, and the application of specific macro-economic policies by the EMU member states. Moreover, it is the foreseeable intent of European governments to create a framework for stability, peace and prosperity through the promotion of structural change and regional development. This paper will endeavor to highlight the fundamental gains likely to be accrued by the European business community as a result of EMU policy provisions. The developments and circumstances preceding the EMU formation will be examined to give insight into the functioning of a monetary union. Furthermore, it is essential to analyze the implications the EMU has for firms within both the European Union (Euroland) and other European nations. To establish a strong understanding of the intricacies of the EMU, it is essential to discuss both the antecedents and major developments in this monetary union. The origins of the EMU can be traced to the formation of the European Coal and Steel community (ECSC) in the early 1950s, which was the first attempt to harness European economic unity to achieve greater international competitiveness (Per Jacobson, 1999). The success of this venture prompted the foreign ministers of six ECSC nations to examine the possibility of further economic integration Hence, in 1957 one the most significant agreements in European economics history, The Treaty of Rome, was signed. The Treaty of Rome’s fundamental goal was to provide for the creation of a common market (Kenwood & Lougheed, 1999). The most significant aspect of this treaty was the commitment made by such countries as Belgium, France, West Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg to facilitate the free movement of goods, services and factors of production. Essentially, these European governments sought to eliminate internal trade barriers, create common external tariffs and harmonies member states laws and regulations (Hill, 2001). This movement towards a common European market continued with relative success until the late 1960s. During this period, the Bretton-Woods Exchange Rate Regime had begun to exhibit unmistakable flaws, whilst global inflation was alarming high. In addition, the revaluation of the German Deustchemark and the devaluation of the French Franc, created considerable exchange rate volatility within Europe 2006-06-11T01:28:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Following-the-Development-of-the-Economic-and-Monetary-Union-29149.aspx Government's Role in Regulating Monopolies like Microsoft The economic system of the United States is modeled after the theory of capitalism. "Capitalism supports free enterprise - private business operating without government regulation (Janda 22)." The United States does regulate private businesses. Sometimes special circumstances arise which threaten to weaken the overall economic stability of the country. In order to sufficiently deal with these situations, the United States government has passed many laws granting certain groups the authority to bring attention to and to stop the threat. This is extremely important in terms of its effects on individuals. It protects the freedoms of individuals, maintains order and stability, and attempts to promote equality. One example of the ability of the United States government to interfere with the natural progression of the American capitalist society, is the existence of antitrust laws. These laws regulate certain actions of individuals, trusts, corps, and combinations of corps in an attempt to prevent or forcibly end a monopoly (Gilbert 21). Since 1989, Microsoft has been repeatedly accused of violating antitrust laws. Many times these accusations have led to an antitrust case being filed against Microsoft. These antitrust laws and law suits are extremely important. Despite the verdicts of the cases, antitrust laws served their purpose - to maintain the balance of the concepts of freedom, order, and equality. Freedom is one of the three main concepts that government must pursue for its people. Freedom has two main contexts in which it is used which are freedom of and freedom from. "Freedom of is the absence of constraints on behavior; it means freedom to do something (Janda 10)." These types of freedoms guarantee individuals certain liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and all other civil liberties. These individual liberties are extremely important in a democracy. "Freedom from . . . suggests immunity from fear and want." Freedom from is also important in a democracy. It guarantees that certain things cannot be done to anyone (Janda 10). This is important because it places limits on the powers of the government. Another duty that government must pursue is maintaining order. Order is "the rule of law to preserve life and protect property. Maintaining order is the oldest purpose of government (Janda A31)." There is also a third aspect associated with the idea of order. This is a belief in maintaining traditional patterns of 2006-06-10T19:38:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Government-s-Role-in-Regulating-Monopolies-like-Microsoft-29140.aspx Challenges to Upward Mobility in the American Economy Men have long dreamed of an egalitarian society, a society in which all members are equal. In such a society men will no longer be ranked in terms of prestige, states, wealth and power. Clearly the egalitarian society remains a dream. All human societies from the simplest to the most complex have some form of social inequality. In particular, power and prestige are unequally distributed between individual and social groups. Social stratification Social stratification is a particular form of social inequality. It refers to the presence of social groups which are ranked one above the other, usually in terms of the amount of power, prestige and wealth their members possess. Those who belong to a particular group will have some awareness of common interests and a common identity. They will share a similar life style which to some degree will distinguish them from members of other social strata. Social Mobility in Capitalist Society It is generally agreed that the rate of social mobility ¡V the amount of movement from one stratum to another ¡V is significantly higher in Capitalist Society such as U.S.A. and H.K.. In H.K., this can be exemplified by the emergence of a large stratum of middle class families after the 80¡¦s. This middle class sector was seen to move upward on the social ladder and achieved their status on the basis of talent, ability and hard working rather than ascribed from their class of origin. Although in recent years, due to the northwards movement of the manufacturing and services industry, some people have suggested that routine white ¡V collar workers are undergoing a process of proletarianization. But, generally speaking, our society can be regarded as ¡¥open¡¦, as having a relatively low degree of ¡¥closure¡¦. Sociologists have identified two main types of social mobility. The first, intragenerational mobility, refers to social mobility within a single generation. The second type, intergenerational mobility, refers to social mobility between generations. The significance of social mobility The study of social mobility is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, the rate of social mobility may have an important effect on class formation. If the rate of social mobility is low, class solidarity and cohesion will be high and distinctive class sub-cultures and strong class identifications will tend to develop. Secondly, a study of social mobility can provide an indication of the life chances of members of society. Thirdly, it 2006-06-07T18:58:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Challenges-to-Upward-Mobility-in-the-American-Economy-29126.aspx Maintaining Gender Roles in Contemporary Australian Society A distinction is sometimes made between gender and sex, such that gender refers to socially conditioned characteristics or typical behaviour, and sex to the physical characteristics of men and women. The definition of gender is sociological concerns of sexual difference and human behaviours or a set of classes, such as masculine, feminine and neuter, which together include all nouns. The discussion of how the differences of gender are maintained in society today covers many different areas, such as growing into gender roles, sources of gender socialization, masculinity and femininity and expectations that humans live with daily. These will all be discussed and analysed in the following argument. We are born either male or female. Depending on the sex that you are, your parents, family and friends try and teach you certain stereotypical ideals. For instance, a little girl may have a pink coloured nursery and clothes. She may be given dolls and tea sets to play with. Whereas a boy may have a blue nursery and toys, and be given trucks and train sets to play with. This is encouraging the child to have feminine or masculine personal qualities, depending on their sex. When these adults are choosing gifts, it immediately comes to mind that a doll for a baby boy is not an appropriate gift. It has been shown that these actions by adults have been taught to them by culture and their surroundings as they themselves were growing up. These children do not have the ability to choose their own gender pathway, and therefore have to rely on their parents to lead them in the correct direction and trust their selection of gender roles. Once a child has become old enough to be able to choose for itself, they develop a more individual personality and variance of gender. Researchers have been debating whether or not males who have been raised as females develop features of masculinity once they reach puberty, and whether the biological sex will prevail. There is still much debate about this issue, but if this were to happen, the male would have to be taught acts of masculinity. The child would have to see what masculinity is to be able to act in this manner. Phrases such as “tomboy” have been used to describe females who act with some masculinity, and the opposite characteristics may be found in males that 2006-06-07T18:39:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Maintaining-Gender-Roles-in-Contemporary-Australian-Society-29118.aspx Economic Turmoil of Present Day Brazil After reviewing the Defending the Brazilian Real case study, I was amazed at what I learned. How can a country that is such a known for its festive atmosphere and abundance of natural resources, be going through such economic turmoil? I’m sure no one in the United States could imagine their rent doubling every 10 weeks. That their credit card charged 25% interest. That the costs for food and clothes increased by 40%. That the value of their savings declined 2000%. In a year! Well in my research, I learned that this is what the citizens of Brazil experienced for ten years, 1987 to 1997. During those ten years, 40% of GNP was eaten up by inflation, which means nearly everyone got rid of cash as fast as possible, because it literally lost value in their pockets. And the majority of people were reduced to buying only the essentials of life, which had a devastating effect on industries that produced all kinds of goods and services. In the case study, the reader is introduced to the Brazilian economy at its turning point away from hyperinflation, with the introduction of the Real Plan. With steady economic improvement, the Brazilian government pursued economic policies to transform its previous system to a market based system. The Real Plan (also known as the Plano Real) was designed by then Finance Minister, Fernando Henrique Cordoso, to drive inflation out of the Brazilian economy. When implemented in 1994, annual inflation rate was running at 1000%. This level discouraged economic activity and foreign direct investments (FDI). To fight inflation, the Brazilian government replaced it’s previous currency, the cruziero with the real. The real was pegged to that of the US dollar. Interest rates were repeatedly increased to maintain the value of the real to that of the US dollar. For Brazil, the high cost of credit helped reduce expansion of the monetary supply and brought inflation under control. The Real Plan was a success. This plan ignited economy growth and increased FDI’s in Brazil. The study further explained, in the midst of all of the economic growth, the trade deficit continued to grow. When I read this, I was baffled. How can Brazil still be in trouble if the economy was growing? According to the text, the trade deficit was due in 2006-06-07T16:35:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Turmoil-of-Present-Day-Brazil-29105.aspx Analysing the Growth of Korean and Japanese Economy South Korea (henceforth referred to as Korea) is being looked upon as the role model by different countries for their economic development. Korean history and culture, state intervention, policy reforms, and Chaebols have been the corner stones for Korea’s success. As B N. Song (1990) describes “The way the Korean economy has grown, and the way the Korean people have shared the fruits of economic growth, have been greatly influenced by Korea’s history and culture.” Korea was among the very poorest countries in the world, the out come of the Korean War was devastating. Recovery of the country started in early 1950’s, with extensive support and assistance from United States. According to B N. Song “The period from 1953 to 1961 was one of very slow recovery from the war…the trend curve changed abruptly, however with the beginning of first five year plan in 1962.Thereafter, Korea’s climb up the ladder of development accelerated…by 1970 Korea had achieved NIC (Newly Industrialising country) status.” In Korea the Chaebols and the State, played an important role in initiating development. With the start of the first five-year plan, “The Korean economy entered the take off stage.” as, described by W W. Rostow (1983). The development policy chosen by many developing countries is inward looking rather than outward looking because they believe it to be safe and correct. But it was the boldness of Korea to choose an outward looking growth strategy, which paved the path to its success. B N. Song describes Korea’s growth strategy as “ It is growth oriented than equity oriented…Korea’s strategy has been industry oriented rather than resource or service oriented… Korea’s approach has been outward looking rather than inward looking.” The economic growth started with the rapid industrialisation of export industries. According to C B. Hollis and M Syrquin (1977) “The expansion of exports has been almost ‘forced’ by the government, export industries and the economy as a whole were run by the government, in many cases beyond normal capacity.” The officials in Ministry of Trade and Industry assigned export targets to Korean firms. Firms which met the export goals were rewarded by numerous benefits reserved for exporters, like preferential credit and loans, administrative support and other benefits like tax reduction. On the other hand firms that could not meet the export target risked themselves with heavy administrative sanctions from the government. 2006-06-07T16:21:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysing-the-Growth-of-Korean-and-Japanese-Economy-29099.aspx Man’s Inalienable Right Under God And Within A Republic The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African” written by himself, explores the life of a native-born African in pursuit of a life, liberty and freedom in the English world. For the most part the narrative’s purpose was to impress a formidable audience: influential British officials. In chapter twelve of the narrative, he put forth two impressive arguments: the first economic rationale and the second moral duty. Equiano’s paramount argument petitioned Christians by calling on the scriptures as evidence in the immediate necessity to abolish slavery and simultaneously called in question the ideology set forth in republicanism and the denial thereof to victims of slavery. Olaudah Equiano’s freedom ended as a young boy when his fellow countrymen kidnapped and sold him into slavery. In his report of the Middle Passage Equiano gave his first impressions of the English control - death of the body as well as the spirit. This initial voyage ended in Barbados. After a short time Equiano boards a ship headed for an English colony of Virginia, where he would spend the next seven years as a slave owned by Pascal. During these seven years, he educated himself, traveled with Pascal in the Royal Navy, and converted to Christianity. Subsequently he purchased his freedom and in 1789 and shortly after wrote his memoirs. His memoirs realized its ultimate purpose in 1797 with the abolition of the English slave trade. The memoirs reached varied audiences, initially composed of American, European, and religiously motivated abolitionists but targeted the deliberators in favor of slavery abolishment within the British government. His composition of the narrative employed a strategy of social desirability with an indication of hypocrisy that targeted the concept of humanity, the evolution of liberty and the ideals of civilization. This strategy indirectly attacked its readers with humility that in turn created guilt in its captive audience. According to one side of the issue, economic rationale appealed to government officials in the government’s quest to acquire a large market for European products. Equiano assured the officials with the premises that African commerce “is trading upon safe grounds” and “commercial intercourse with Africa opens an inexhaustible source of wealth to the manufacturing interests of Great Britain”; two equally powerful assumptions put forth by an African native 2006-06-07T16:18:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Man’s-Inalienable-Right-Under-God-And-Within-A-Republic-29098.aspx Psychological Analysis of the Nature of Glamor In the preceding pages we dealt with certain definitions of the words (frequently used interchangeably) dealing with illusion and glamor. We found that: Illusion is primarily of a mental quality and was characteristic of the attitude of mind of those people who are more intellectual than emotional. They have outgrown glamor as usually understood. It is the misunderstanding of ideas and thought-forms of which they are guilty, and of misinterpretations. Glamor is astral in character, and is far more potent at this time than illusion, owing to the enormous majority of people who function astrally always. Maya is vital in character and is a quality of force. It is essentially the energy of the human being as it swings into activity through the subjective influence of the mental illusion or astral glamor or of both in combination. The Dweller on the Threshold, always present, swings however into activity only on the Path of Discipleship, when the aspirant becomes occultly aware of himself, of the conditions induced within him as a result of his interior illusion, his astral glamor and the maya surrounding his entire life. Being now an integrated personality (and no one is a disciple, my brother, unless he is mental as well as emotional, which is a point the [27] devotee oft forgets) these three conditions (with the preponderance of the effect in one or other of the bodies) are seen as a whole, and to this whole the term the "Dweller on the Threshold" is applied. It is in reality a vitalized thought-form - embodying mental force, astral force and vital energy. The problem, therefore, before all of you in this group is to learn first of all: To distinguish between these three inner illusory aspects. To discover what conditions in the environment or in the individual constitution induce these situations of difficulty. To find out what methods are effective in inducing a cessation of the bewildering deceiving conditions. It must be remembered also that these distorting conditions, found in all of you, are the medium whereby you are tuned in on the world glamor and illusion. The emphasis has been laid in esoteric teaching on the training and liberation of the individual aspirant. This is, of course, necessary, for the mass is made up of the individuals, and in the steady release from the control of these inner delusions will come the 2006-06-07T16:16:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Analysis-of-the-Nature-of-Glamor-29097.aspx Cultural Ethnogoraphy of the Ojibway Native Americans I sat in awe when a Native American, dressed in traditional regalia, walked forward and began speaking to us about his life and culture. Never in my nineteen years of life had I actually seen a Native American aside from television. Prior to that point I never had any first hand experiences with their culture, so therefore all of my opinions and thoughts were based on stereotypes I had come to absorb over the years. Therefore, he looked how I had imagined he would, but I had no clue what to expect from the person underneath the garb. Gabe Desrosiers, an Ojibway Indian, was able to convey his culture’s message through the song and dance of his people. Through his powwow examples that he was willing to share with us, I was able to add human feelings and emotions to a stereotype that began and ended with physical appearance. Gabe Desrosiers is an Ojibway Indian who continues to spread the song and dance of the Ojibway tradition throughout the North American continent. He hails from the Lake of the Woods area in Ontario, Canada where he is the lead singer and the composer for the Ojibway drum group known as The Northern Wind Singers. Gabe and The Northern Wind Singers have traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada on the powwow circuit. In many ways Native American traditions continue to survive through the powwow. Gabe began his presentation by describing his cultural background. Immediately he stressed the importance of women, and how they are respected greatly. Women are an important foundation in Native American life by being the bearers of life and therefore coincide with “mother earth.” Gabe mentioned that women pass the drum from creator to the tribes. This being inherently important since the drum is considered to be the heartbeat of the tribe itself. That idea provided the basis for Gabe to relate his own beginning involvement with his tribe. At the age of six he started learning about traditional dances and music. Women are given a lot of respect, more than can be seen in many cultures around the world. I was rather surprised at this because I had never previously pictured Native American women as being seen as such large contributors to their culture. 2006-06-06T14:58:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cultural-Ethnogoraphy-of-the-Ojibway-Native-Americans-29073.aspx Political Economy Analysis of Marx's Communist Manifesto The Communist Manifesto to a great extent aims to explain the goals of Communism and the theory that underpins the movement. The work argues that class struggles, or the exploitation of one class by another, are the motivating force behind all historical developments. The work concludes with the assumption the freedom of the proletariats will only be achieved when property and other goods cease to be privately owned. The Communist Manifesto opens with a statement of its purpose, to publicise the views, aims and tendencies of the Communists. It is meant to be a broad description of what Communism is, both as a theory and as a political movement. The Manifesto has four sections. In the first section, it discusses the Communists' theory of history and the relationship between proletarians and bourgeoisie. The second section explains the relationship between the Communists and the proletarians. The third section addresses the flaws in other, previous socialist literature. The final section discusses the relationship between the Communists and other parties. In section One, "Bourgeois and Proletarians," Marx highlights his vision of history, focusing on the development and eventual destruction of the bourgeoisie, the dominant class of his day. Modern industrial society is characterised by the class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Marx writes, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Throughout history we see the oppressor and oppressed in constant opposition to each other. This fight is sometimes hidden and sometimes open. However, each time the fight ends in either a revolutionary reconstruction of society or in the classes' common ruin. In this instance he highlights that the nature of the productive forces of capitalism are not compatible and therefore as exploitation occurs a proletariat revolution will result which will aim to eradicate the social classes. He emphasises that this revolution is inevitable as capitalism is inherently unstable. The most important concept being discussed is the concept that each society has a characteristic economic structure. This structure breeds different classes, which are in conflict as they oppress or are oppressed by each other. However, this situation is not permanent. As history continues, eventually the means of production cease to be compatible with the class structure. Instead, the structure begins to impede the development of productive forces. At this point, the existing 2006-06-06T14:47:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Political-Economy-Analysis-of-Marx-s-Communist-Manifesto-29068.aspx Difficulties for Dealing with Teenagers and Adolescents Few parents today realize the need to change the way they deal with children as they grow up. Even the most caring adults frequently misunderstand teenagers. This isn’t due to a lack of effort; it has more to do with inaccurate stereotypes and portrayals of teenagers. The word teenager, for an instance, brings up an image of a rebellious, outrageously dressed, young person who loves to party, listen to annoying music and watch MTV. Teenagers are often very complex, but they are also not impossible to understand. When the world speaks of or thinks of “teenagers” they are likely to have a stereotype ideal in mind, and this often creates an unfortunate barrier that does not allow us to appreciate the individuality of each young person in the world today. Too often teenagers are treated as if they were just big toddlers or large children. The general view of parents today seems to be that children are “their” property and should learn to please them and obey their commands. This maybe true for toddlers but as growing young adults the role of parents is to assist a child into becoming an independent, responsible adult. This cannot happen unless the teenager is allowed to make some decisions for themselves. Not wild guesses or decisions based on their desires but informed based on considerations of the facts and the consequences of different actions. Statistics have shown that during different stages of a person life the way they are treated changes dramatically. When an infant is born they are shown lots of attention, encouragement, affection and total acceptance. Then as they go off to elementary school their parents become more involved in their life, they encourage and teach them and have appropriate expectations. As they get into high school, things start to change. Their parents say they have unrealistic expectations, over-interest in life, and focus too much on their friends and the type of people they are. These are the preconceived attitudes that are often shown to children from their parents. Teenage years are very crucial time in which it’s a time for young adults to figure out who they are and what they stand for. In order to do this, teenagers have to consider things and explore things for themselves. They will find out for themselves why things are valuable and will be 2006-06-02T16:37:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Difficulties-for-Dealing-with-Teenagers-and-Adolescents-29051.aspx How Ritalin can create and unfair advantage in schools Treating ADHD with Ritalin is a way to ignore the situations and factors that may exacerbate the symptoms of the disorder. Parents need to take some responsibility for their children’s disorders and seek treatments besides Ritalin. Physicians should recommend a program that combines chemical and behavioral treatments to assist children in working through their disorder. It seems that Ritalin may be over prescribed in our country, with an estimated 2 million children taking Ritalin (Breggin, 1995). Physicians rarely take the time to find out if Ritalin is even the best solution for an ADHD child. The best way to determine this is to alternate days of giving a child Ritalin and a placebo and recording the resulting behavior. If Ritalin is found to be more effective than the placebo, the doctor should devise a plan to work the drug, along with behavioral therapy, into the child’s treatment plan for a limited amount of time. Behavioral therapy for ADHD children and families can help in a variety of ways. While behavioral therapy may take more time, effort, and money than simple drug treatments, it may have more lasting and valuable effects. For example, around the time children enter school, they begin to learn that they have to take responsibility for the choices and actions that they make. Without behavioral therapy, children on Ritalin may not be able to make those same conclusions, and instead blame their disorders for their actions (Breggin, 1995). It should be noted that with Ritalin alone, children with ADHD are still distinguishable among their peers in regard to behavior patterns and academic performance (Whalen & Henker, 1998). Behavioral therapy may teach children how to have normal interactions with others and increase the chance that peers will accept the ADHD child. This therapy may also be able to teach children strategies to help them succeed in school. Behavioral treatments should also involve the parents, who also carry some responsibility for their children’s improvement. Parents should be taught methods of discipline that do not involve giving into the children’s behavior. The therapy can also identify risk factors and issues in the family that may trigger reactions in ADHD children. If parents learn to deal with these issues, their children may 2006-06-02T02:52:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Ritalin-can-Create-and-Unfair-Advantage-in-Schools-29012.aspx Thrift Shopping Benefits for the Financially Challenged We all have times of financial crisis, and in those times we find ourselves trying to spend the least amount of money we can on necessary items without sacrificing quality. Goodwill Industries, a company with over 1,700 stores throughout the country can do just this; save you money on necessities without losing quality. However, there are numerous reasons to shop at your local Goodwill store, and while this appears to be the most common one, it is only one of many. The Goodwill Store carries used items that people have donated to the company, some of which have been refurbished, and has a broad selection of goods that meet the needs of even the most fickle person. Not only gender and type organize clothing, but color. This feature is nice when shopping for a garment that matches another piece of clothing you own, because it allows you to view the whole spectrum of pink, blues, oranges, etc. that are available to buy instead of having to root through different colored garments in search of one that matches. In addition to clothing, the Goodwill Store carries furniture ranging from end tables to sectional sofas. Prices on clothing and furniture are very reasonable, shirts going for roughly two dollars and thirty five cents, most pants not over eight to ten dollars, and furniture, depending on quality, can range anywhere from a mere four dollars to anywhere upwards of a hundred. One of the best features of the Goodwill Store is their selection of clothing. The clothing in the store, being donated, is basically one of a kind as opposed to the store having twenty to thirty of the same items stocked on the shelf. This gives the Goodwill Store shopping experience a little excitement because you never know what you will find. Likewise, you can never be sure that a garment or piece of furniture you liked will still be there at your next visit. Shopping at Goodwill also in a way gives you the feeling of a child in a candy store. There are so many choices, all of which are very different from each other, and it is oftentimes hard to decide which items to purchase. This quandary is lightened, and 2006-06-01T19:37:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thrift-Shopping-Benefits-for-the-Financially-Challenged-28996.aspx Commercialism Invading Communities in Economic Growth In many growing communities across the nation they are worried about the big developers coming in and making the town into a commercial hellhole. Many are concerned with the economic, social, and wildlife tolls that suburban sprawl will take on the community. A well-known solution to this urban sprawling is smart growth. Smart growth distinguishes the diversity between expansion and the quality of life. Smart growth recognizes the community, but still lets some expansion in through the door. Smart growth is composed of a few key elements design, health, transportation, quality of life, economics, environment, and housing. Saguaro Flats is a growing community and growth is almost inevitable, it should grow smart with smart growth. The blueprint for smart growth includes water and electricity efficiency, the use of more economical building supplies, restored downtown, and low impact development. The low impact development and the efficiency of the water and electricity will make for a more economic setting for all. The low impact development and the restored downtown will bring community benefits as well as health benefits for all the residents of Saguaro Flats. When a community grows it not only has a demand for more housing and shopping, but it also has a great demand for better public transportation such as bus, train, and metro. Given the many options of transit there is not one that will become congested, thus allowing the growing community to move freely about the city easily and quickly. This open range of traffic options decreases the amount of traffic congestion in and out of the area. Housing is one of the most important parts of a smart growing community because its key to transportation access, access services, and education. Households today are very diverse, and there is not one single type of housing solution for them all. Smart growth increases the housing supply by building more houses in an existing neighborhood. The new housing structures will be a financial incentive for existing commercial midpoints that lack consumer business in the late afternoon. Many of the communities that are built are not built with health in mind, many have wide streets and no side walks which results in more vehicle use. This caused a lot of unwanted pollution in the city. Smart growth emphasizes public transit and also the use of bikes or walking to your destination. When there 2006-06-01T19:14:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Commercialism-Invading-Communities-in-Economic-Growth-28989.aspx Self-Image Theory in Male and Female Adolescent Subjects Dr. Mary Pipher, a clinical psychologist wrote Reviving Ophelia to help parents and girls as they go through their Adolescent years. This book focuses on many issues young girls may face during adolescence, family relationships, divorce, developmental issues, depression and drugs and alcohol. Pipher observes the different selves of young girls and their evolving relationships with others. Adolescence is a time of discovering who you are and it is certainly not an easy task in the world in which we live in today. Girls are constantly focusing on their physical selves and the changing of their bodies. Many times young girls will allow culture and the outside world to define who they are and what they should look like. Young girls as adolescents don’t understand or want to understand that the average woman does not look like the Sports Illustrated model. Pipher explains to us that girl’s immaturity emotion level makes it hard for them to hold on to their own identity when experiencing peer pressure of adolescence. This is a time when even the smallest things can be overwhelming for young girls and they may deal with their emotions in many different ways. Staying connected with your emotions and being able to sort through the instability will prepare girls to emerge from adolescents and have a good sense of whom they are. Pipher urges parents to guide their daughters through these tough years so they can avoid emotional traps such as eating disorders, depression and suicide. Most adolescents are unable to think abstractly and this makes it difficult for people to reason with them. Young girls first entering into adolescents will read to deeply into causal comments and over react to simple glances. We can see and understand why girls find the need to categorize themselves into groups such as preps and geeks. Teenage girls see the world as black and white and believe that everyone is examining even the smallest detail about herself. Teenage girls are only able to focus on them and what they are going through. Many parents see this as being selfish, but it is only a developmental stage that every girl experiences during adolescence. Schools treat boys and girls extremely different. Boys are more likely to be noticed in the classroom. 2006-06-01T19:04:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Self-Image-Theory-in-Male-and-Female-Adolescent-Subjects-28985.aspx Psychology of Schizophrenia and its Symptoms For many years the word “schizophrenia” has provoked enormous discomfort. Invested with meaning at once surreal and feared, it is still used as an instrument of ridicule in ordinary conversation, in the media, and even among professionals themselves. The word itself is ominous and evokes visions of madness and asylums. It is a discordant and cruel term, just like the disease signifies. “Schizophrenia continues to be an illness about which the public at large remains unaware even though, along with other psychiatric disorders, it has become more susceptible to modern scientific investigation yielding information that has clarified the origin, progress, and outcome of the disorder” (Orey). Brilliant advances in brain and behavioral research over the last couple of decades have armed scientists and clinicians to such a degree that both diagnosis and therapeutics now rest on more solid ground than ever before. “Schizophrenia is a complex disorder characterized by a constellation of distinctive and predictable symptoms that are most commonly associated with the disease. It is one of the most disabling and emotionally devastating illnesses known to man” (Orey). It is a relatively common disease with an estimated one percent to one and a half percent of the United States population being diagnosed with it over the course of their lives (Torrey 6). Schizophrenia usually begins by the individual having a “psychotic episode”, which is a serious onset of symptoms. The symptoms are divided into two main categories, positive and negative. Positive because these are new experiences and negative because these are every day parts of life, at a reduced level. These may occur together, separately or alternately. The positive symptoms are hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech. Most commonly a person with schizophrenia will “hear” his own thoughts, for example, as if they have been spoken aloud within his head. The thoughts can appear to be so loud that the person may believe that people nearby will also be able to hear them. The mind usually adjusts to this very rapidly and as a result the thoughts then appear to come from some external source. These spoken thoughts are then called voices or, more technically, hallucinations. There can also be other kinds of hallucinations such as visual, smell or taste. A person who experiences hallucination will naturally attempt to find an explanation for what is happening. Which kind of explanation they decide on depends very much 2006-06-01T18:56:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychology-of-Schizophrenia-and-its-Symptoms-28981.aspx The Psychological Disorder of False Memory Syndrome Memory is the mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experiences. A repressed memory is one that is retained in the sub conscious mind, where one is not aware of it but where it can still affect both conscious thoughts and behavior. When memory is distorted or confabulated, the result can be what has been called the False Memory Syndrome: a condition in which a person's identity and interpersonal relationships are entered around a memory of traumatic experience which is objectively false but in which the person strongly believes. Note that the syndrome is not characterized by false memories as such. We all have memories that are inaccurate. Rather, the syndrome may be diagnosed when the memory is so deeply ingrained that it orients the individual's entire personality and lifestyle, in turn disrupting all sorts of other adaptive behaviors. The analogy to personality disorder is intentional. False memory syndrome is especially destructive because the person assiduously avoids confrontation with any evidence that might challenge the memory. Thus it takes on a life of its own, encapsulated and resistant to correction. The person may become so focused on the memory that he or she may be effectively distracted from coping with real problems in his or her life. -- John F. Kihlstrom, Ph.D. There are many models which try to explain how memory works. Nevertheless, we do not know exactly how memory works. One of the most questionable models of memory is the one which assumes that every experience a person has had is 'recorded' in memory and that some of these memories are of traumatic events too terrible to want to remember. These terrible memories are locked away in the sub conscious mind, i.e. repressed, only to be remembered in adulthood when some triggering event opens the door to the unconscious. And, both before and after the repressed memory is remembered, it causes physical and mental disorders in a person. Some people have made an effort to explain their pain, even cancer, as coming from repressed memories of incest in the body. Scientists have studied related phenomenon such as people whose hands bleed in certain religious settings. Presumably such people, called stigmatics, "are not revealing unconscious memories of being crucified as young children, but rather are demonstrating a fascinating psychogenic anomaly that springs from their conscious fixation on the suffering of Christ. Similarly, 2006-06-01T02:28:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Psychological-Disorder-of-False-Memory-Syndrome-28968.aspx Globalization Supporting Comparative Advantage in Economies Globalization is a process fueled by, and resulting in, increasing cross-border flows of goods, services, money, people, information, and culture (Held et al. 1999:16). Stephen Kobrin (1997:147-148) describes globalization as driven not by foreign trade and investment but by increasing technological scale and information flows. Sometimes it appears loosely associated with neo-liberalism and with technocratic solutions to economic development and reform (Evans 1997). But the term is also linked to cross-border advocacy networks and organizations defending human rights, the environment, women's rights and world peace (Sikkink 1998). The environmental movement, in particular, has raised the banner of globalism in its struggle for a clean planet, as in its "Think Global, Act Local" slogan. Thus, globalization is often constructed as an impersonal and inevitable force in order to justify certain policies or behaviors. Globalization," has been defined in a variety of alternative ways including: An economic orientation of globalization being "the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through the increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions in goods and services and of international capital flows, and also through the more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology." (World Economic Outlook 1997) Globalization also describes a world environment in which much freer international movement of goods, capital, people, information and ideas is making global market forces more important in the daily lives of the world's people relative to nation state political forces. But, the economic processes of globalization are not new. The period 1870-1914 was a time of very rapidly increasing free movement of goods, capital and people as the technology of the telegraph and the steamship made international communication and transportation much faster, easier and cheaper. This extraordinary period of growth in the global economy was interrupted by the two World Wars and the Cold War, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the primary alternative to "market capitalism" also disappeared. Nation states worldwide began to open their economies to international goods, services, practices and ideas, to privatize the means of production that for years had been government owned. Some believe that words are very important when addressing globalization. The corporate media have claimed many words such as "democracy," "freedom," and even "justice" to define globalization. Another is to begin with the word, "democracy," and call the movement against globalization "The Democracy Movement." For centuries, globalization has increasingly knitted together the world and created unity out of 2006-06-01T02:01:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Globalization-Supporting-Comparative-Advantage-in-Economies-28964.aspx Encouraging Young Workers in Today's Changing Economy Different people have different opinions on work. For some it is a bread earner. For others it is a passion of their life. According to people, perspective on work varies. There are people who take work for granted, i.e. they don’t care much about the work, what they care is bucks they going to make. The other groups of people are those who have strong work ethics, i.e. they work hard and show strong intensive regardless of what they are paid. The perspective on work can vary strongly among the age group. The older people tend to take work seriously and with strong work ethics. On the other hand, the younger generations take it lightly and have an attitude if laid off- there are other jobs. This may not hold true for all. There are exceptions and exceptions are there in everything. I went to Paynesville to gather what perspective a sixty-year-old person has on work. After listening to Donald Skyrpeck talk about his perspective and experience on work, I said, “ half-hour drive was worth it.” Donald Skyrpeck is a sixty-year-old geography teacher at Paynesville secondary school. He has been teaching at the school since he was thirty. Thirty years at the same job and same place was a long way to go. When I asked about what made him stick so long on same job his answer was- children. He told that if he had changed jobs and places it would have caused break-ups in his children’s studies. I agreed with Mr. Donald. How my studies were affected when my parents had to move from one place to another, until they finally put me in a boarding school. The other things that triggered me was if he had ever felt bored and monotonous doing same work for so long. His answer was –no. I was surprised. He further elaborated that teaching is fun, one seem to meet new faces every year, and that is what keeps one going. I was not satisfied and asked him – what about the same stuff you have to repeat every year? In response to my question he told me that as you meet new children, they bring up new questions, new perspective. It is always something new he told me. He further stated that as he is teaching he is learning too. Now, I was satisfied. It was 2006-06-01T01:50:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Encouraging-Young-Workers-in-Today-s-Changing-Economy-28961.aspx Damaging Effects of Child Abuse and Social Consequences What is child abuse? By definition from www.dictionary.com, child abuse is the deliberate and willful of physical or emotional or sexual abuse of a child. The key word in the definition is deliberate. This involves an active, hostile, aggressive treatment to a child. When something like child abuse occurs in a young child’s life it could end up having a negative effect on them when they are adults. This is something that should be stressed because it is like a cycle. This topic is very important for anybody who wants to be future parents or if anybody wants to understand child abuse a little better. Hitting a child 2006-05-31T23:49:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Damaging-Effects-of-Child-Abuse-and-Social-Consequences-28950.aspx Psychological Theory of Supervision Explored in Education Within an organization there’s a body of people where at least one person stands out as the leader or the one who supervises the rest of the body. Usually someone has appointed this person. I believe in order for one to have a purposeful organization, someone within should oversee the transitional processes of that organization. The supervisor is the overseer in most organizations and many times delegate duties to others within the organization. Analyzing the educational arena, supervisors seek to improve schools, classroom instruction, and the growth of the organizational body by using one of the three philosophies: essentialism, experimentalism, and existentialism. These three philosophies determine the manner in which the supervisor will direct the body of the organization. A supervisor who possesses the essentialist philosophy is one who does it in an authoritative manner. Still holding on to his or her goals of improving the school, classroom instruction and the growth of the organizational body, there’s little room for collaboration from the body of the organization. This type of philosophy places the supervisor as the person who teaches truths about the absolute standards. Educationally, the teachers mechanically and systematically feed content to the students. While I believe that there’s a time for essentialism or direct-control, I believe it limits teacher and student growth. As a supervisor it is important for the body of the organization to continue to grow and possess a sense involvement. Supervisors can also supervise using an experimentalist approach. When a supervisor use this type approach he or she continues to hold on to his or her goals of school improvement, classroom instruction, and organizational growth, however it is done by allowing the involvement of the organizational body (teachers). Supervision becomes developmental because it encourages the involvement, and collective action of others. The supervisor believes that teachers need to learn what are the truths of their time, but they should not rest content with that parcel of knowledge. The supervisor, which utilizes the experimentalist approach, allows teacher to test old ideas and try new ideas. This allows teacher and student growth, while at the same time improves classroom instruction. The third approach to supervision is the existentialistic. Within this approach, the supervisor continues to hold on to his or her goals, but the accomplishments of the goals are clearly achieved by the supervisor’s facilitation of the teacher. Using this approach allows the 2006-05-31T23:47:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Theory-of-Supervision-Explored-in-Education-28949.aspx Psychological Analysis and Effects of Depression in Adolesents Adolescent Depression: The Under Acknowledged Disease Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally toward others and themselves. Therefore it comes to no surprise to discover that adolescent depression is strongly linked to teen suicide. Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer (Blackman, 1995). Despite this increased suicide rate, depression in this age group is greatly underdiagnosed and leads to serious difficulties in school, work and personal adjustment which may often continue into adulthood. How prevalent are mood disorders in children and when should an adolescent with changes in mood be considered clinically depressed? Brown (1996) has said the reason why depression is often over looked in children and adolescents is because "children are not always able to express how they feel." Sometimes the symptoms of mood disorders take on different forms in children than in adults. Adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil, mood swings, gloomy thoughts, and heightened sensitivity. It is a time of rebellion and experimentation. Blackman (1996) observed that the "challenge is to identify depressive symptomatology which may be superimposed on the backdrop of a more transient, but expected, developmental storm." Therefore, diagnosis should not lay only in the physician's hands but be associated with parents, teachers and anyone who interacts with the patient on a daily basis. Unlike adult depression, symptoms of youth depression are often masked. Instead of expressing sadness, teenagers may express boredom and irritability, or may choose to engage in risky behaviors (Oster & Montgomery, 1996). Mood disorders are often accompanied by other psychological problems such as anxiety (Oster & Montgomery, 1996), eating disorders (Lasko et al., 1996), hyperactivity (Blackman, 1995), substance abuse (Blackman, 1995; Brown, 1996; Lasko et al., 1996) and suicide (Blackman, 1995; Brown, 1996; Lasko et al., 1996; Oster & Montgomery, 1996) all of which can hide depressive symptoms. The signs of clinical depression include marked changes in mood and associated behaviors that range from sadness, withdrawal, and decreased energy to intense feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. Depression is often described as an exaggeration of the duration and intensity of "normal" mood changes (Brown 1996). Key indicators of adolescent depression include a drastic change 2006-05-31T23:29:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Analysis-Effects-of-Depression-in-Adolesents-28944.aspx Ethnography of the Kwakitul Aboriginal Indians A quiet, graceful testimonial to a vanishing way of life, I Heard the Owl Call My Name was Margaret Craven's first book, written when she was sixty-nine. It tells of a young vicar named Mark, sent to a remote Kwakiutl village not knowing he has less than three years to live. In the village, Mark comes to understand the Kwakiutl Indians around him and sees how their traditions are being destroyed through the influence of white men. He watches the "English woman anthropologist" who comes to study the natives and insists upon calling the villagers "Quackadoodles;" he experiences the impact when the government declares it legal for Indians to buy liquor and when traders cheat the villagers out of 2006-05-31T18:53:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethnography-of-the-Kwakitul-Aboriginal-Indians-28934.aspx How the Sandinista Revolution Changed Traditional Gender Roles Before the Nicaraguan Sandinista Revolution had taken place in the late 1970s, male and female gender roles had been clearly and traditionally defined as to how one should behave and conduct one’s self. Men and women identified these ideal traits and behaviors for potential husbands and wives, or as guidelines in how to raise their children, and even so that the family order of gender role was not upset. Traditional male behavior had originally been based around the notion of machismo. In this way, they are meant to act aggressive, violent, dominant, sexually conquer and drink and gamble. Women on the other hand were expected to be soft spoken, obedient and caretaker of the household. Once the Revolution started, and as times were getting harder, the idea of the ideal New Man and woman had changed. “Two sets of values coexist, compete, and more than occasionally blur: the ideals of machismo, with its cult of aggressive masculinity, defined as a mode of sexual and physical conquest; and the ideals of the revolutionary New Man, who is envisioned as hard working, devoted and family oriented (Lancaster, 1992; pg. 40).” For women, her traditional role was in the household taking care of the children, cleaning, cooking and washing as would be expected. Furthermore, she was unable to voice her objections or opinions to her husbands’ sometimes abusive tendencies, and from that the New Woman had evolved also. Women started to lose faith in the war, growing tired as they were losing many husbands and sons to the war. Throughout Lancaster’s Life Is Hard, one can watch as the behaviors and society gender roles start to change as the Sandinista Revolution continued. “The new idea of a good man- that is, the revolutionary New Man- is someone who studies to improve himself and his country, who works hard, who is responsible toward his companera, his children, and is generous with those around him. The old idea of a good man- the ideal of machismo- was someone who could drink, fight gamble, and have a large number of sexual conquests (Lancaster, 1992; pg. 175).” Jaime is a good example of the New Man. He entirely supported the Sandinista Revolution in which he believed in improving his country, also an extremely bright scholar who kept improving himself through education; he was also a good friend and generous 2006-05-31T18:32:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Sandinista-Revolution-Changed-Traditional-Gender-Roles-28926.aspx Psychology of Teenagers through Behavioral Model The teen brain consists of four main components that contribute to development. The first component is the corpus callosum, which is a nerve table that joins both sides of the brain. Although it is not completely stated what it is responsible for it is believed that it controls intelligence, consciousness, and self-awareness. This links to the teen brain model because it doesn’t mature till your mid 20’s which would explain why teens do so called “Dumb” things, because their brains are not fully developed. The second main component is the frontal lobe, which is located in the upper front part of the brain. The frontal lobe is responsible for self-control, judgment, organization, and regulation. The frontal lobe changes and undergoes a series of pruning. The first growth finishes at age five and then at about the age of 10 the brain begins to grow again. Which explains why most teens do not think things threw because this part of the brain is not fully developed. Another component is the changing in the Parietal lobes. The parietal lobe put together information and is in charge of senses like tactile or touch and sight, and makes it comprehensible. What happens to the parietal lobes is the long nerve fibers or white matter that is coated in fatty substance called myelin, allows the nerves to carry information faster and more efficiently when the process is finished. This process is developing until late teens early 20’s. Which means the teen brain does not send or receive information as fast or effective. The final result of the parietal lobes is that they can’t organize or incorporate the different signs that they receive. They do not adapt because the brain cannot react to it. Like the parietal lobe the temporal lobes are not developed during the teen years. The temporal lobes are responsible for language and emotion; they do not reach full maturity until approximately 16 years of age. The final component of the teen brain is hormones. The female’s hippocampus grows more quickly than males because it reacts to estrogen. Females react better to the reward and punishment system. Males however, the amygdala grows more rapidly than females because it reacts to androgen. Males react better to fears and emotions, which means an adolescent male may be easier to discipline if you put a fear in them. By this I 2006-05-31T18:16:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychology-of-Teenagers-through-Behavioral-Model-28922.aspx Teaching English in a World of Global Culture Teaching English is it not an easy task, and as future teachers we must recognize that we are going to be dealing with groups of different individuals and not a single student with 40 faces. Student are different in many ways. Some are quick, others are slow. Some are confident, others are shy. Some like working on groups, others are happier working alone. However; what they do have in common is the fact that they need to count on someone and most of the time is the teacher the one that plays that role. Teachers must be aware of the student’s need and they must be empathic in order to influence the student to become a better person. But, What does being empathic mean? According to David Smeeth, an experienced teacher from California, “empathic teaching is being sensitive to and understanding of my student’s experience, of the classroom environment, the subject matter, and myself as the teacher. I then do my best to demonstrate this empathy to my students by making calming statements and observations, such as: • I know this software can be intimidating. • I’ve been stuck with this problem too: it took me a long time to figure it out. • I know it can be hard to take a class when you already know most of what’s covered. • When I get stuck, the first thing I do is take a deep breath and remember to relax. • Understanding this topic takes awhile, just go easy on yourself and it will come. • Stop me if I lose you or if I just seem to go on and on. • Answering your questions is my highest priority.” For me, being empathic is the capacity of recognizing the other person’s feelings, problems, defects, qualities, and also knowing when someone needs your help. And empathic teaching will be developing that capacity in the classroom and to make the students realize that the teacher can not only be a guide, but also a friend that understands them and provides help any time they need it. It is important to make them feel that you care that they learn and about how they feel in the class. Both aspects are important in order to have a good relationship with them. Being empathic will be useful for the teacher to know how he or she can provide the support that students need and make them 2006-05-31T17:52:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Teaching-English-in-a-World-of-Global-Culture-28916.aspx Love: affection and friendship How can it be? I don’t understand. It can’t last forever, but they still want girlfriends. What drives them to wanting a significant other? Is it pride, do they just covet, or perhaps it’s because they see that others have girlfriends and they feel almost pressured (I personally think it’s a combination). If they wanted a girlfriend for the reason of pride would that not mean that their own pride, at that time, would have had to of been rather average, or perhaps even low. Now, of course it matters on the person himself. If he is confident in himself, his pride would be rather high. It can’t be pride if you have affection for the person, because pride won’t allow you to have affection for others. Pride also can’t be a factor when it comes to love, for there is no such thing as a prideful marriage. The subject of marriage is a rather sensitive subject. The two main topics are divorce and sex before marriage. I myself feel that the worst thing you can do is divorce someone, not only in marriage but in friendship as well. When I lived in Texas, I had a friend that hated divorce only because his parents divorced. At the same time though, he told me that God was personal, but He divorced His creation after He had made it. I think that was his way of dealing with the sin in the world. Unfortunately, I never really challenged him by asking how is it possible to be a personal God and at the same time be divorced with His creation. God tells us that he hates divorce: “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, ‘for it covers one’s garment with violence,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously’” (Malachi 2:16). I do not wish to spent much time on the topic of divorce, only because I don’t know what I could say on it. I shall now go to sex before marriage. As for sex before marriage I see nothing wrong with it, but only if they truly love each other. Unfortunately most teens are so desperate for a significant other they are willing to do anything to keep them once 2006-05-30T19:37:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Love-Affection-and-Friendship-28899.aspx A) What changes in economic policy would be introduced? An inward orientated strategy focus on self sufficiency. Self-sufficiency is important because being reliable on foreign imports is very risky because these imports may be affected by external influences, for example, if one of the trading countries where to be hit by famine or war, this suddenly affect the amount traded. Self sufficiency is achieved by promoting domestic production, by offering subsidies, such as the British agricultural policy, which hands out subsidies to farmers if the leave a certain percentage of there land ‘untouched.’ Rather than importing from foreign imports. The Government can install tariffs on imports to discourage foreign imports, by raising relative prices. When a country changes from an inward orientated to an outward orientated strategy different economic policies are introduced. The country focuses more on importing foreign goods. It does this for many reasons. Importing fills gaps in domestic markets. The good or service that is imported is not available or produced at a lower opportunity cost than it would be domestically, this means that the firms can offer the good or service at a cheaper price than the local firms and therefore be very competitive. The local government will employ tariffs (taxes on imports) on the imported goods or services. Tariffs protect the local business from large competition. Small scale firms in LDCs will not be able to compete with large firms from MDCs. One reason for deciding to use an outward orientated strategy is that the country must export to finance its imports. The country cannot import goods with its own currency, it must use foreign currency. By exporting goods it allows local firms to compete on a global scale instead of just domestically. This allows some firms and countries to exploit any monopolies may have. This will cause firms to expand which could lead to the firms being able to offer higher incomes leading to higher levels of savings leading to higher levels of investment leading to higher levels of growth which then brings us back to an increase in the levels of incomes. Apart from just competition it also promotes firms to be more efficient in production which could have the same knock-on affects. If a country does decide to become outward orientated then this increases the dependency for the country on foreign imports. The country then has less ability to support itself. This causes problems 2006-05-18T19:49:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Country-decides-to-change-from-an-inward-orientated-strate-28865.aspx Are we living in a post-modern society? Why/why not? The world in which we live is becoming increasingly powerful in that societies are represented through diverse and multifaceted structures that interrelate and bind groups together in order to produce a consistent and rapid growth of changes and continuities. Postmodernity is a recent concept initially introduced in the ‘arts and architecture, spread to the study of popular culture and were developed most fully in philosophy, but they are becoming increasingly influential in the social sciences, particularly sociology’ (Taylor 1999, p.16). The historical processes of the Great Transformation and modernity have played a significant role in the development of a post modern society. Sociological theorists such as Jean-Francois Lyotard and Daniel Bell reinforce the notion of post modernity and its existence in our world today; however Ulrich Beck does not support this concept. The Great Transformation, involving the processes of ‘industrialisation and the expansion of market capitalism’, was ‘first observed in the Europe of the 18th and 19th centuries’ (Holmes, Hughes & Julian 2003, p. 22). The most important change was the ‘great European industrial revolution’ which began in the ‘1780s right through to the 1950s’ (Holmes, Hughes & Julian 2003, p. 24). The great European industrial revolution was ‘…a period of massive innovation in production of everything from manchester to heavy engineering. This revolution also saw the steady movements of populations into cities, looking for wage work in factories’ (Holmes, Hughes & Julian 2003, p. 24). As a result of industrialisation, the establishment of modernity enabled sociologists to enhance greater understanding of where the world was working towards. Modernity is a significant concept used in sociology to: ‘…describe the complex range of phenomena associated with the historical process, commencing in the 17th century, which saw Western societies change from a agricultural to an industrial foundation, from a feudal to a capitalist framework, with most of their populations migrating from rural, village settings to towns and cities, as well as moving beyond Western Europe in the process of colonising much of the rest if the world’ (Krieken, Habibis, Smith, Hutchins, Haralambos & Holborn 2000, p. 7) However, as societies continue to change rapidly and consistently, some sociologists are beginning to acknowledge postmodernity and its role in contemporary societies. The terms postmodernity and postmodernism share similar meanings. Holmes, Hughes and Julian (2003) state that: ‘Postmodernism denotes aesthetic movements in arts, architecture, music, theatre, film and 2006-05-11T14:34:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Living-in-a-Postmodern-Society-28832.aspx Extrasensory Perception - Supernatural Power? Extrasensory perception or ESP is the knowledge of external objects or events without using our five basic senses. People that believe that they have a kind of ESP are people such as psychics or spiritualists that believe they can communicate with the dead (Encarta). ESP is a supernatural and is nothing of the natural world that can be explained. Most believers in the phenomena of extrasensory perception do not understand physics at all and maintain that spatial distance is irrelevant to the exercise of ESP. People often have the tendency to make psychic experiences seem unusual, out of the ordinary, special, somehow set apart, or frightening (edgarcayce.org). Skeptical people of the widespread belief in ESP find themselves having to do practically nothing. ESP supporters do most of their work for them by dipping into the sensational, proponents of ESP effectively remove all believability they might have been able to convey. If their involvement with TV psychics, mediums and spiritualists was not quite so obvious or vocal, ESP promoters might well find themselves with a willing market for their similar things and for their values( wheel.ucdavis.edu ). Computers and other instruments have been used in the study of ESP. Most scientists do not believe that ESP exists. These scientists say that thousands of controlled studies have failed to show any evidence of psychical phenomena, and that no person has ever successfully demonstrated ESP for independent investigators(Encarta). Most sciences try to explain observable phenomena, but parapsychology tries to observe unexplainable phenomena (wheel.ucdavis.edu). The scientific method of investigation dictates that any observable results from experimentation be copied under the same sort of circumstances, and also be copied by investigators other than the original ones provided the circumstances and environment are the same (wheel.ucdavis.edu). This is the downfall of all known and described investigation into the existence of ESP. Research in this area has been characterized by incompetence, deception and fraud. When properly controlled experiments are done they have usually yielded negative results, have been unable to demonstrate a single clear case of psychic power or paranormal phenomena (wheel.ucdavis.edu). Experimentation following the believer method but performed by nonbelieving investigators has consistently come up with negative results that have been criticized by the believing side and vice versa (wheel.ucdavis.edu). Most of the research into the existence of parapsychological phenomena has had the effect of proving nothing verifiable, giving the two sides 2006-05-10T04:18:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Extrasensory-Perception-Supernatural-Power-28828.aspx Episodic Memory Abstract Episodic memory is the process of recalling personally experienced past events. The efficiency of this process is adversely affected by age. In a sense, this may explain the level of emotional distress that the aged and their kin and all others feel at the onset of failing episodic memory. Because it relates to individuals and their family and friends in a very personal way, it tends to rob them of past-shared experiences in a way that other memory failures do not. Introduction The mechanism of human memory recall is neither a parallel nor a sequential retrieval of previously learned events. Instead, it is a complex system that has elements of both sequential and parallel modalities, engaging all of the sensory faculties of the individual. On an everyday level, issues about memory and recall affect everyone. It has a bearing on ramifications from the trivial to matters of life and death. Thus, a particular student might worry about his or her ability to remember 'memorized' material, a person might worry about losing his or her mind, and, there are the more troubling issue of diseases affecting memory such as Alzheimer's disease. According to Tulving, episodic memory represents only a small part of the much larger domain of memory (Tulving, 1992, p.1). Specifically, episodic memory is the process involved in remembering past events. This paper is a review of research findings on episodic memory with specific attention to episodic memory in adults and infants. Episodic Memory in Adults In society, it is quite common for people in their golden years or even well before that, to worry about losing their memory. There is scientific evidence to support this notion of degradation of memory with age. It is now well known in neurology that brain cells die off as one ages. Verhaeghen and Marcoen (1993, pp. 172-178) found that the decline associated with age in relation to the ability to perform episodic memory tasks involving deliberate recall appears to be largely a quantitative rather than a qualitative phenomenon. The ability of older adults to recall individual items in lists, or ideas in texts could be predicted based on the performance by younger adults on the same tasks. From their data in a sample of 48 younger and 45 older adults, they postulated a relationship between recall and age with a median correlation of r = .88. Younger or older adults could 2006-05-10T03:26:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Episodic-Memory--28826.aspx Echo Personality Disorder Echo Personality Disorder is a specific and highly differentiated form of dependency, marked by behaviours of compliance and a need to 'mirror' significant others -parents, spouse, friends, employer. It has been found that those with EPD are highly attracted to relationships with individuals who show marked narcissistic tendencies. This mirroring behaviour was the reason for choosing the name Echo personality disorder, which is based on the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo. In this story Echo, a forest nymph, falls completely in love with the egocentric youth Narcissus, and when he shows clear signs of rejecting her, she persists in her attatchement to him and will not be moved from her aim. She finally satisfies him with the masochistic task of echoing back to him all that he says. This too is the central feature of EPD behaviour in relationships, where the individual will mirror, echo, and compliment another at the expense of their own self-worth and dignity. Self descriptions by EPD sufferers focus strongly on percieved fears of abandonment, rejection, and loss, and these agonizing feelings are the driving force behind the above-mentioned interpersonal coping style (mirroring others). These individuals protect themselves from abandonment/rejection by being so agreeable to others, via their mirroring capacity, that chances of re-experiencing abandonment agony is brought to a low minimum. Unfortunately this approach amounts to a false existence with little or no true self expression, and eventually leads to poor psychological health. Characteristic experiential history for EPD often involves individuals being parented by caretakers who are themselves self-absorbed or narcissistic. In this environment the child learns that asserting ones true self will be met with a form of (often serial) rejection, to which they respond by substituting compliant behaviour in place of true selfhood. This 'compliant' behaviour can then be witnessed as a stable feature throughout the childs growing-up years, with other school children, and within the family. Depression, smoking, alcoholism, addictive behaviour all occur with very high frequency in this disorder. On a positive note, EPD people are excellent contributors to society, and to family, as they are found to be very perceptive of the needs of others. The highly respected religions of Christianity and Buddhism are based on the principles of altruism and charity, and this is a lifestyle at which the EPD individual can be said to be expert. Good traits such as these cannot simply be written 2006-05-10T03:22:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Echo-Personality-Disorder-28825.aspx The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. Bipolar disorder or as the alternate names, manic depressive illness or affective bipolar disorder can be classified as a mood disorder characterized by mood swings from mania (exaggerated feeling of well-being) to depression. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. Many famous and historical individuals have been said to have suffered from this disorder, most notably the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, regardless of the abundance of people suffering from the it, we are still waiting for concrete reasoning for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its' victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. It is also believed that the lithium level is what causes these mood swings. Suffers of bipolar disorder suffer from a large varity of symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can become feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Either the manic or the depressive episodes can predominate and produce few mood swings or the patters of mood swings my be cyclic. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include anhedonia, disturbances in sleep and appetite, psycomoter retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty thinking, indecision, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Some of the other symptoms that may occur in the depressive stage can be also fatigue that can last anywhere from weeks to months and a person may not be aware of why this is actually happening. Daytime sleepiness can also occur making it hard for a person with this illness to hold down any sort of a job for a length of time. Unintentional weightloss can make the doctor go in a different direction in this making it difficult for them in diagnosis because of all the possible symptoms that a person may exhibit. A person may also have some memory loss episodes or episodes of amnesia, going blank for a periods of time. They may not even be aware that they have a family to take care of and often times lose sight of 2006-05-09T20:12:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bipolar-Disorer-28822.aspx Abstract Episodic memory is the process of recalling personally experienced past events. The efficiency of this process is adversely affected by age. In a sense, this may explain the level of emotional distress that the aged and their kin and all others feel at the onset of failing episodic memory. Because it relates to individuals and their family and friends in a very personal way, it tends to rob them of past-shared experiences in a way that other memory failures do not. Introduction The mechanism of human memory recall is neither a parallel nor a sequential retrieval of previously learned events. Instead, it is a complex system that has elements of both sequential and parallel modalities, engaging all of the sensory faculties of the individual. On an everyday level, issues about memory and recall affect everyone. It has a bearing on ramifications from the trivial to matters of life and death. Thus, a particular student might worry about his or her ability to remember \'memorized\' material, a person might worry about losing his or her mind, and, there are the more troubling issue of diseases affecting memory such as Alzheimer\'s disease. According to Tulving, episodic memory represents only a small part of the much larger domain of memory (Tulving, 1992, p.1). Specifically, episodic memory is the process involved in remembering past events. This paper is a review of research findings on episodic memory with specific attention to episodic memory in adults and infants. Episodic Memory in Adults In society, it is quite common for people in their golden years or even well before that, to worry about losing their memory. There is scientific evidence to support this notion of degradation of memory with age. It is now well known in neurology that brain cells die off as one ages. Verhaeghen and Marcoen (1993, pp. 172-178) found that the decline associated with age in relation to the ability to perform episodic memory tasks involving deliberate recall appears to be largely a quantitative rather than a qualitative phenomenon. The ability of older adults to recall individual items in lists, or ideas in texts could be predicted based on the performance by younger adults on the same tasks. From their data in a sample of 48 younger and 45 older adults, they postulated a relationship between recall and age with a median correlation of r = .88. Younger or older adults could use 2006-05-07T06:22:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Episodic-Memory--28815.aspx Effects of Maternal Emploment on Infant Devlopment The topic of this paper is the debate of whether or not maternal employment has any effect on infant development. Research on this described topic has recently become popular due to the rise of working mothers over the past several decades. Their increasing numbers in the workplace and decreasing numbers as stay at home moms are creating a number of different issues to be studied. The effects of maternal employment are determined by a number of factors that include, the mother’s job satisfaction and drive, amount of work, and the mother’s opinion of quality versus quantity time with children. The main concept at hand here is the importance of an attachment in the first few years as being vital to a child’s later development. One side of the argument backs up this fact saying that it is important for a child to have their mother home with them during this period of development. The other side argues that they are finding that it may be more beneficial for the child to be placed in some form of nontraditional care environment. This paper will examine these different effects on infant development whether they are positive or negative. There are two sides to this argument as expected for any issue in debate. I will discuss these two sides by using the arguments of researchers that have studied this topic and written articles on their opposing feelings on maternal employment. I will summarize separately these two researchers’ different views along with their findings. After I have summarized some of their findings I will be presenting my own personal view on this topic. The authors arguing the yes side of this debate are, Jay Belsky and David Eggebeen. Their purpose in writing on this issue was to touch upon some of the issues involved in what has become known as the infant day care controversy. They reviewed previous studies of maternal employment and of the infants involved receiving various types of non-parental care and found that the children that received the type of non-parental care available in the United States for 20 or more hours a week during their first year of life are at a higher risk of developing insecure attachments to their mothers and have been known to misbehave with adults and act more aggressively toward their peers as 3 to 8 year olds. It was also 2006-05-07T06:18:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Maternal-Emploment-on-Infant-Devlopment-28812.aspx Effects of Gender on Education This topic is also well discussed in many of the standard textbooks, but a bit unevenly and a bit oddly. Thus Haralambos and Holborn (1990), or Barnard and Burgess (1996) have good sections specifically on gender and educational achievement. However, rather strangely, the section on education is treated almost entirely as a sort of empirical matter and not linked very well to the other admirable sections on gender generally, or gender in the family or work sections. This is especially odd in the Bilton et al (1996) classic, written by a team that includes a prominent feminist (M Stanworth) and which has good sections on genderas an organising pespective in the theory and methodology chapters. So, one suggestion is to take the material specifically on gender in education, but to read up the topics more widely and generally in the other relevant chapters as well. As before, I\'ll try to show how this might be done via my own glosses and interests: Early work focused on female underachievement in the formal education system, which was (finally) considered to be as much of a \'dysfunctional\' outcome as underachievement by working class kids ( see file on connections between educational policy and functionalist models of stratification). If the educational reforms of the period in Britain after World War 2 were designed to make sure the most talented kids got to the highest levels of achievement, we would expect as many girls as boys to hit those levels -- selective schools, sixth-form, examination success, university entrance or whatever. This was clearly not the case in the 1950s and 1960s. These gender differences began to be explained initially using the same sort of factors that had been used to explain working-class underachievement. 1. Early theories suggested that females were not as able or as intelligent as males, and there is still a lot of stuff around on relative brain sizes or supposedly innate cognitive limits. There are obvious objections to this view too, of course -- such as that the tests of intelligence are likely to be value-laden. Equally, there is a methodological problem, one which runs through all the work on gender that involves biological explanations - biological accounts are reductionist in that they try to reduce a number of complex social differences to one simple set of biological differences (always a suspicious move). At the common-sense level it 2006-05-07T06:13:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Gender-on-Education-28810.aspx The Effects of Divorce on Children The statistics for divorce in the 1990's suggest that nearly sixty percent of marriages end in divorce. Given this startling figure, the presumption can be made that many children will experience some effects caused by the life-changing event called divorce. What is it exactly about divorce that causes negative consequences for these children? In what ways will these children be effected? Will these effects show outwardly? The unsettling fact is: young children of divorced parents face great psychological challenges due to the environmental conditions and changes associated with divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 45). When we pass the year 2000, we will see two groups of working age adults emerging. One group will have received psychological, social, economic, educational and moral benefits and the other group will have been denied them all. The first group will have grown up with both parents present in the house and the second group will have not had both parents present. Parental conflict appears to have a pronounced effect on the coping efforts of children. The intense anxiety and anger between some parents in the early stages of divorce is real. Often times parents allow their children to get in the middle of fierce verbal fighting between them. Berating the other parent in front of the child is another way of placing the child in an unfair position, which in essence is expecting the child to choose between the parents. Any form of parental conflict, no matter to what degree, lends to a difficult adjustment period for children involved. (Jekielek 1-3). The deterioration in parent-child relationships after divorce is another leading cause in psychological problems for children. With a divorce comes a parenting plan of some kind. A child may experience shared custody between both parents or custody by one parent with visitation by the other parent. Variations of these plans can be included or added at different times in the child's life depending on special circumstances. More often than not, the mother is awarded custody of the children. The absence of the father on a full time level is detrimental to the healthy development of the children. In the case that the father is awarded custody of the children, the opposite applies as well. Studies have shown that a decay in custodial parent-child relationships may frequently occur in the first year or two following divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 2006-05-07T06:10:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Divorce-on-Children-28809.aspx Kushner, a Rabbi, tried to make sense of many of the traditional arguments of God’s existence and the reasons for some of the tragic events of the modern world. Overall, Kushner provides a usable argument for God as his idea rests on the fact that although God is not all-powerful, He is a God of love. There have been many times in life when I have turned to a “God” with problems and wanted answers or solutions and received nothing. When this happens, I take the time to reflect and ask myself, “Why, when I do some many good things, do I not receive any answers or solutions to my problems?” The book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, written by Harold S. Kushner, has brought some answers to my problems. This book explained and helps clarify why even though I am not a bad person, that sometimes bad things are bound to happen. When Kushner wrote this book I feel that, the meaning of his writings were that God does not mean to punish us, he just means to test us and present us with problems and see how we react to them. As put best he wrote, “The God I believe in does not send us the problem; he gives us the strength to cope with it.”(127). Kushner makes many references to the bible and his belief in a higher power, “God”. Many people personally may not think there can be one and only one God but I do believe in a higher being or power and I like how Kushner makes sure to point out that he is not calling it the God but “his” God. It shows an almost non-biast opinion and it shows a lot of respect towards all groups of people. I remember one time specifically when my grandma recently passed away I turned to God for answers. Instead of getting an answer, I got more problems. My grandma and grandma both had strokes, my best friend who is also my cousin got merry and is unhappy, my friend is going through an crisis with her family along with all of the other normal problems that go on in live that we, as humans, have learned to expect in everyday life. In the belief that I thought was that while God took one away, he renewed faith in another. At first, of course, I was 2006-05-04T16:56:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/When-Bad-Things-Happen-to-Good-People,-written-by-Harold-S_-28796.aspx Echo Personality Disorder Echo Personality Disorder is a specific and highly differentiated form of dependency, marked by behaviours of compliance and a need to 'mirror' significant others -parents, spouse, friends, employer. It has been found that those with EPD are highly attracted to relationships with individuals who show marked narcissistic tendencies. This mirroring behaviour was the reason for choosing the name Echo personality disorder, which is based on the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo. In this story Echo, a forest nymph, falls completely in love with the egocentric youth Narcissus, and when he shows clear signs of rejecting her, she persists in her attatchement to him and will not be moved from her aim. She finally satisfies him with the masochistic task of echoing back to him all that he says. This too is the central feature of EPD behaviour in relationships, where the individual will mirror, echo, and compliment another at the expense of their own self-worth and dignity. Self descriptions by EPD sufferers focus strongly on percieved fears of abandonment, rejection, and loss, and these agonizing feelings are the driving force behind the above-mentioned interpersonal coping style (mirroring others). These individuals protect themselves from abandonment/rejection by being so agreeable to others, via their mirroring capacity, that chances of re-experiencing abandonment agony is brought to a low minimum. Unfortunately this approach amounts to a false existence with little or no true self expression, and eventually leads to poor psychological health. Characteristic experiential history for EPD often involves individuals being parented by caretakers who are themselves self-absorbed or narcissistic. In this environment the child learns that asserting ones true self will be met with a form of (often serial) rejection, to which they respond by substituting compliant behaviour in place of true selfhood. This 'compliant' behaviour can then be witnessed as a stable feature throughout the childs growing-up years, with other school children, and within the family. Depression, smoking, alcoholism, addictive behaviour all occur with very high frequency in this disorder. On a positive note, EPD people are excellent contributors to society, and to family, as they are found to be very perceptive of the needs of others. The highly respected religions of Christianity and Buddhism are based on the principles of altruism and charity, and this is a lifestyle at which the EPD individual can be said to be expert. Good traits such as these cannot simply be written 2006-05-03T05:01:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Echo-Personality-Disorder-28783.aspx Germany Germany is a country of rich heritage and a long history. From early tribes to wars, a widely used language to automobiles, Germany is a common meeting ground for many things. Germany has been around for a very long period of time, so it would be rather difficult to go in depth on its history. Germany’s history began way back around 100 BC with the first Germanic tribes moving in. Very little is known about these tribes, other than what is found in Roman documents and the findings of archaeologists. Between 300 and 843 AD migration of the Franks, Goths, and Vandals began. In this same period, Germany began to convert to Roman Catholicism. From 1814 to 1871, Germany began its revolution. They had seen the French revolution and had decided it was their own time to revolt. Many scholars from all classes of society had teamed up to discuss the possibility of a revolution. Following the German Revolution in November of 1918, voters began to support anti-democratic parties, including Communists and Nazis. In the 1930s, Germany was very close to starting a civil war. After numerous Presidential cabinets failing, President von Hindenburg, with almost no other options, chose Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on January 29, 1933. The views of Hilter and Hitler’s actions, like gaining control of a large portion of Europe, later lead to World War II after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Germany in the mid to late 1900s was divided, at first into four sections and then later into two. In the summer of 1989, Germany began to reunite. As stated before, there is not enough time to discuss Germany’s full history. Germany has a distinctive geography. The capital of Germany is Berlin, with a population of 3,391,407 (as of March 31, 2005). Germany is made up of 16 states, 3 of which are city-states. A city-state is a single city declaring itself as a state. The highest point in Germany is the Zugspitze, towering at 9,718 feet. The lowest point within this country is Wilstermarsch, measuring 11.6 feet below sea level. Because Germany is located for the most part in the center of Europe, it shares borders with 9 different countries. Germans have a fairly diverse heritage and customs. 33% of the people are Protestants, while another 33% are Catholic. The current Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, is German. Another 30 percent of Germany’s people are considered 2006-05-03T04:30:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Germany-Country-Profile--28780.aspx Critical Evaluation of the Cognitive Theory of Stereotyping B231: Social Interaction, Exam Paper 1998, Question 4. Graeme Gordon Stereotyping is a form of pre judgement that is as prevalent in today's society as it was 2000 years ago. It is a social attitude that has stood the test of time and received much attention by social psychologists and philosophers alike. Many approaches to, or theories of stereotyping have thus been raised. This essay evaluates the cognitive approach that categorisation is an essential cognitive process that inevitably leads to stereotyping. Hamilton (1979) calls this a 'depressing dilemma'. Brown's (1995) definition of stereotyping through prejudice is the 'holding of derogatory social attitudes or cognitive beliefs, the expression of negative affect, or the display of hostile or discriminatory behaviour towards members of a group on account of their membership to that group'. This definition implies that stereotyping is primarily a group process, through the individuals psyche's within that group. A further idea of stereotyping, defined by Allport (1954) as 'thinking ill of others without warrant', is that people 'make their mind up' without any personal experience. This pre judgement about a whole group is then transferred to the stigmatisation of any individuals in that group. It is these ideas that the essay aims to evaluate, through the cognitive process of categorisation and the above definitions that bring about three distinct features of stereotyping, that our cognition can be demonstrated through. The first characteristic of stereotyping is over-generalisation. A number of studies conducted found that different combinations of traits were associated with groups of different ethnic and national origin (Katz and Braly, 1933). However, stereotyping does not imply that all members of a group are judged in these ways, just that a typical member of a group can be categorised in such judgements, that they possess the characteristics of the group. Still, when we talk of a group, we do so by imagining a member of that group. The second feature and characteristic of stereotyping is the exaggeration of the difference between ones own group (the in-group) and the 'other' group (the out-group). This can be traced back to the work of Tajfel during the 1950's - 'the accentuation principle' (Tajfel, 1981). Tajfel's work was specifically on physical stimuli, and concluded that judgements on such stimuli are not made in isolation, but in the context of other factors. Applied socially - a judgement about an 2006-05-03T04:17:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Evaluation-of-the-Cognitive-Theory-of-Stereotyping-28778.aspx Does the attachment theory provide a sound basis for advice on how to bring up children? To answer this question for advice to parents I will explore some of the details of the attachment theory showing, 1) earlier studies and more up to date criticisms, 2) how it proposes family members and day care can affect a child’s upbringing. Attachment is the bond that develops between caregiver and infant when it is about eight or nine months old, providing the child with emotional security. Meshing commences from when the child is being fed, onto taking part in pseudo-dialogue and then following on to the child taking part in a more active role of proto dialogue, illustrated by Kaye (1982), other concepts such as scaffolding and inter-subjectivity have also been explored by psychologists. As the infant grows older the attention escalates towards the direction of the caregiver. John Bowlby(1958, 1969, 1973, 1980) pioneer of the attachment theory was involved in research regarding the emotional connection between the adult and infant and he believed that the early relationships determined the behaviour and emotional development of a child. In an early Bowlby (1944) study he discovered children who had an unsettling upbringing where more likely to become juvenile delinquents. His work is constantly open to criticism and has been revisited with further research. Subsequent research has based measuring security and insecurity in a child from an early age using the Strange Situation Test. Other research has shown certain trends of difficult behaviour and how the child interacts with the caregiver actively. Bowlby’s theory was based on ideas from ethology and previous work, psychodynamic theory by Sigmund Freud, it was appropriate for the 1950’s after the 2nd World War when women were returning to household duties and motherhood as men returned to their employment after the war. He believed that a child should have interaction with one caregiver ‘monotropism’ and that separation from this person would trigger the ‘proximity promoting behaviours’ in the attachment structure. The caregiver arriving would cause the behaviours of, clinging, making noises and crying to discontinue. The protected foundations of the affectionate bonds occurring between parent and infant representation becomes part of the internal working model. Those become the foundations and the heart of all close relationships during the continuing life of the child through to adulthood. The disruption of the relationship between mother and child through parting, lack of 2006-04-30T07:26:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Attachment-Theory-Raising-Children-28767.aspx A Psychological Aspect of Susan Smith: Dependent Personality Disorder On October 25, 1994, Susan Smith drowned her two sons, Michael and Alex, in the John D. Long Lake in Union County, South Carolina. For nine days she lied about knowing where the boys were. On November 3, she confessed to the killings and would soon go to trial. Susan’s defense team hired a psychiatrist to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of her. She was diagnosed as having dependent personality disorder. He described her as a person who “feels she can’t do anything on her own”. “She constantly needs affection and becomes terrified that she’ll be left alone” She was only depressed when she was alone. The psychiatrist studied her family history and concluded that based on her family history and his interviews with her, Susan had a tendency toward depression that began in her childhood. Susan’s attorney argued that his client was psychologically destabilized by a lifetime of betrayal. A father who killed himself when she was just six, a stepfather who sexually molested her as a child, a husband who cheated on her and a boyfriend who toyed with her affections (Pergament). Her boyfriend testified that “the pleasure she got from sex was not physical pleasure, it was just in being close and being loved”. The psychiatrist testified that Susan had sex with four different men during the six-week period leading up to the murders and she had begun to drink heavily during this time (Pergament). Alcoholism is a component of dependent personality disorder. After only four days of testimony, the defense rested its case. Susan was charged with two counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole in 30 years, the year 2025. Dependent personality disorder is an inability to function without significant reliance on a forceful or dominant person providing direction. Individuals diagnosed with dependent personality disorder are usually quiet, and needy for attention, valuation, and social contact. Lack of self-confidence and relying on others are typical. Threatened with solitude or separation, a dependent disorder person may panic with feelings of profound helplessness (Gillihan). The person may be convinced that he/she is incapable of functioning on his/her own. A dependent person seeks direction from others, even on insignificant issues. The relationships of individuals with dependent disorder are usually unbalanced. They tend to seek all-powerful helpers, or people they believe can protect them 2006-04-30T07:19:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Psychological-Aspect-of-Susan-Smith-Dependent-Personality-28765.aspx Death Leads To Maturity In the entire life cycle of a human being, teenage stage is the fun, memorable, and some time the wild part. In this teenage stage, the teenagers experiment with everything without caring about the consequences. For most people, the life prior to the teenage stage is the most exciting part because there are no worries; every thing is fun. When the teenage life begins, most of their behaviours change while adapting to various habits. They follow good and bad behaviours as the result of influences from their parents, friends, teachers and the society they live in. These behaviours and societal norms combined with enthusiastic nature makes teenagers do various things. The result of their activities gives them the basic knowledge of the real world. Dead Poets Society, by N.H. Kleinbaum, and A Separate Peace, John Knowles, are two novels that focus on the difficult journey towards maturity and the adult world of the teenage boys. They focus on the learning experience of friendship and self esteem through the death of others. Both John Keating and Finny (Phineas) are great leaders who face many difficulties in achieving their goal and often become the victims. Dead Poets Society opens with Keating being a substitute teacher for an English class and encouraging his students to make their lives meaningful and extraordinary by referring to the word ““Carpe Diem”” (25). This is the Latin word for seize the Day and he wants them to seek out their dreams and to believe in themselves. Keating believes that education requires the student to think for himself. He must be free to question and to learn in the way that he learns best. A Separate Peace opens with Finny being portrayed as a brave sixteen years old boy who strongly believes in and encourages other students in his class to act upon their wishes. Both characters are optimistic about making a change in other people’’s lives to make them better. Keating encourages the students to write poems to express their feelings. Finny on the other hand, encourages his friends to skip classes and do wild things like jumping off the tree. Neil, one of Keating’’s students, follows his wishes and disobeys his father. At the end, Neil kills himself when his father decides to take him out of school. Yet Keating is blamed for Neil’’s death and is expelled from his position. The persistent 2006-04-30T07:16:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Death-Leads-To-Maturity--28764.aspx Culture Determines Gender Roles Culture definitely aids in the determination of gender roles. Socialization in all cultures is directly linked to the final product of a human being. Culture dictates, at a very young age, how boys and girls are supposed to act, feel and respond to certain situations. Boys and girls are separated by gender at birth. Boys are wrapped in blue blankets and girls in pink. Before a child is born, everyone close to the family wants to know what the child will be, so they will 2006-04-30T07:14:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Culture-Determines-Gender-Roles-28763.aspx Critical Discussion of the Psychoanalytic Concept of Repression Repression is defined (White, 1964,p214) 'the forgetting, or ejection from consciousness of memories of threat, and especially the ejection from awareness of impulses in oneself that might have objectionable consequences.' In layman's terms when forming a memory, the brain takes what we see, hear, smell, feel and taste and fills in the blank spaces with information that we have perceived from common knowledge and stores it as a memory. But sometimes something happens that is so shocking that the mind grabs hold of the memory and pushes it underground into some inaccessible corner of the unconscious. The psychoanalytic concept of repression as a defense mechanism is closely linked to the Freudian idea of an unconscious mind. Early Freudians saw the unconscious mind as having the same properties as that of the conscious mind. Just as the conscious mind was believed capable of consciously inhibiting events by suppression, so the unconscious was considered capable of inhibition or cognitive avoidance at the unconscious level by repression. Suppression is said to happen, when one voluntary and consciously withholds a response. Unconscious repression in contrast may function as an automatic guardian against anxiety, a safety mechanism that prevents threatening material from entering consciousness. Symptoms are formed as a result of repression even though the patient may not be aware of it. Freud says; (Freud, 1973, p335) 'We must now form more definite ideas about this process of repression. It is the precondition for the construction of symptoms.' Symptoms serve as a substitute for the patient for something that repression is holding back. Freud says; 'A symptom like a dream, represents something as fulfilled: a satisfaction in the infantile manner' (Freud, 1973, p413). Freudian therapy is like an entrance hall, with a room adjoining it, in which consciousness is found also, but that between these two rooms resides a watchman, who acts as a censor to those entering the second room from the entrance hall. This watchman represents resistance in psychoanalysis, which is present during psychoanalytic treatment, when the psychoanalyst endeavors to uncover the repression. Resistances in psychoanalytic treatment if lifted are able to bring the past into focus and act as support systems in the analysis. In order to uncover the repression the analyst has to remove the resistance, which is constantly changing during treatment, i.e. the intensity increases as the analyst draws nearer to a new 2006-04-26T05:55:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Discussion-of-the-Psychoanalytic-Concept-of-Repress-28755.aspx 1. Consciousness is the fundamental fact of human existence, from the view point of persons examining their own experience. There are various aspects of consciousness, such as perception, mental imagery, thinking, memory and emotions. I believe that consciousness is a property of some lower animals and machines. An ant for an example has a conscious mind about staying in covered areas during the rain and to panic when something attacks it. This shows memory, perception and thinking which shows that it does have a conscious. Some machines have something similar to a conscious. A computer for example has a hard drive which is a lot like a “memory”, in which it stores something, and it has ram, which is basically information stored and ready to be used. If I were to open a web page browser and than open up a word document, I could instantly jump back to the browser because its stored on my hard drive, but loaded on my ram, which is a lot like how if we think about an old memory, such as grade school, and than wash our hands, the memory of grade school is still fresh in our mind, and we can go back and instantly load it up with less difficulty than the first time. 2. The mind-body problem asks what is the relationship between the mind(conscious) and the body( brain). The two major positions are dualism and materialism. -Dualism holds that mind and body are made of different substances: the body is material but the mind is some immaterial soul stuff, and the mind interacts with the body to control human behavior. Out of body and near death experiences have also been offered in support of dualism, but alternative, naturalistic explanations of these experiences are available. -Materialism is the view that mind and body are inseparable: mental events are produced by brain events. There are 4 types: -Epiphhenomenalism is the view that conscious is a side effect of brain activity but it has no role in controlling behavior. -Identity theory says that mental events are identical brain event. For each mental event, there is a corresponding brain event. - Emergent interactionism- is the hypothesis that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon: it is produced by brain processes, but it has holistic properties of its own and it exerts downward control on brain processes. -Functionalism is the view that the functional characteristics of 2006-04-26T05:33:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Consciousness-and-Fundamental-Act-of-Human-Existence-28752.aspx Conformity: The Greek Society Conformity, on a daily basis we conform to the social norms set forth before us by our friends, family and past experiences. Group cohesiveness (the desire to which one has to be in and is attracted to the group) greatly increases conformity. Enter Greek life. We have all seen them, parading down the halls, across campus, and in the Student Union. Strutting around with their number one symbols of pride across their backs or chests, on a sleeve, a pin or hat, GREEKS. Going Greek is a social decision as one enters college. You either are or are not a Greek, which creates a rather noticeable Ingroup\\Outgroup situation, and millions of stereotypes between both Greeks and Independents. To some Independents, Greeks are seen as followers, conformists, who joined simply to ?buy their friends? and some Greeks see Independents as ?GDIs (God Damned Independents, for lack of better definition), people who are losers because they won?t join, for whatever reason. It has been said that ?From the outside looking in you will never understand it, and from the inside looking out you can not explain it.? Greeks more predominately create the sense of Ingroup\\Outgroup. It is very simple to see who is part of the group and who is not. It is pretty obvious from the blaring letters, ringing chants, songs, and stories that you are part of the group. From the Greek point of view there are 3 types of groups, Fraternity Men& Sorority Women, Pledges, and everyone else. You are either in or out it is that, plain and simple. You have either chose to conform to the ideals of your perspective organization or you have chosen not to be a part. There are sub divisions of the In-group, as far as the different organizations; you are a Sig-Kap, TKE, Skull, AST, etc. This is turn creates In-groups amongst the In-group. Each individual organization sees themselves as ?good? and in turn everyone else is ?bad.? Which is a predominate theme in Ingroup\\Outgroup Theory. Greeks call this ?pride?, conforming to these beliefs is part of the whole Greek concept. Through the pledging process you are taught the ways of the organization, how members are expected to act, and many other fun and interesting tidbits of information. During your pledge period you learn the ideals that are the base of the organization and until you learn to 2006-04-26T05:22:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conformity-The-Greek-Society-28751.aspx America is sometimes referred to as a "nation of immigrants" because of our largely open-door policy toward accepting foreigners pursuing their vision of the American Dream. Recently, there has been a clamor by some politicians and citizens toward creating a predominantly closed-door policy on immigration, arguing that immigrants "threaten" American life by creating unemployment by taking jobs from American workers, using much-needed social services, and encroaching on the "American way of life." While these arguments may seem valid to many, they are almost overwhelmingly false, and more than likely confused with the subject of illegal immigration. In fact, immigrants actually enhance American life by creating, not taking jobs, bolster social service funds through tax payments, and bring valuable technical knowledge and skills to our country. If we are to continue to excel as a nation, the traditionalists who fear an encroachment of foreign-born Americans must learn to accept that we achieved our greatness because of being "a nation of immigrants." A common argument among those opposing further immigration is that foreigners take U.S. jobs and cause unemployment among the displaced American workers. In the July 13, 1992 edition of Business Week , a poll states that sixty-two percent of non-blacks and sixty-three percent of blacks agree that "new immigrants take jobs away from American workers." This is a widely held, if erroneous belief, among Americans. However, Julian L. Simon, author of The Economic Consequences of Immigration, states: immigration does not exacerbate unemployment...Immigrants not only take jobs, but also create them. Their purchases increase the demand for labor, leading to new hires roughly equal in number to the immigrant workers. In the same Business Week poll, eighty-three percent of non-blacks and eighty-seven percent of blacks agree that "many new immigrants are very hard-working." The results of the poll may seem somewhat contradictory, but not necessarily negative. Those polled seem to be at least a little open-minded in their view of the quality of new immigrants. However, in order to overcome their distrust of foreigners, Americans must abandon their suspicions and recognize, as Simon has, that our lives are enhanced by immigrants creating, not taking, U.S. jobs. A widely held belief among Americans against immigration is that foreigners "strain social service budgets." According to the same poll, sixty-two percent of non-blacks and fifty-nine percent of blacks agree "immigrants use more than their fair share of government services, such as welfare, medical care, and 2006-04-25T20:30:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/America-Nation-of-Immigrants-28746.aspx “Immigrants are to hordes what sheep are to flocks, or lions to prides. They swarm rather than arrive, their faceless uniformity evoking the insect world and its ceaseless, relentless capacity to reproduce.” Over the years many things have been done to try to stop the incoming flow of illegal immigration coming over the western border, but most everything has failed which leads to the millions of Mexican immigrants living illegally in the United States. Millions of Mexicans are living illegitimately in California and that number is growing by an estimated half million per year (Long 87;Center for Immigration Studies). Illegal immigration is now a thing of the past. Years ago the flow of immigration was easily monitored and most Mexicans entering the United States were legal. Gradually things became worse and people began to hear stories of vans and cars full of Mexicans trying to cross the border being pulled over and taken to the border police; however no one really knew how bad the problem was or how much worse it would become. The two key factors that attract illegal aliens to the United States are jobs and family values. In Mexico, the average worker only makes about one tenth of what someone working in the same job in America would make (Scholsser 25). Many American companies are willing to hire immigrants because they can pay them a lot less than what they would have to pay a typical American worker. Even this low wage is higher than most Mexicans would be making in Mexico. This is what makes the U.S. seem so great to the many Mexicans trying to cross the border. Another large contributing factor to the illegal immigration from Mexico are the community of legal immigrants who form networks to bring others across the border. These groups of people are what make it easier for many more Mexicans to cross the border illegal. They are “incubators” who worsen the problem rather than help by providing jobs, housing and entry into the U.S. for relatives and other Mexicans (Hanson 2). Once the illegal immigrants have been helped across the border it is overly easy for them to find jobs and 2006-04-25T20:27:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Illegal-Immigration-in-California-28745.aspx Sociology: 'The Dead Poets Society' and 'The Breakfast Club' So far in Sociology we have viewed two movies that paint a perfect portrait of the traditional and present-day education systems. I would like to compare, contrast, and also reflect on both “The Dead Poets Society,” and “ The Breakfast Club.” There are numerous differences between the two movies, and although they’re both in a different setting and different time frames, there are also many similarities. “The Dead Poets Society” is set in the mid 60’s in an upper class prep school. On the other hand “ The Breakfast Club” is set in the 80’s at a typical public High School in a middle-class suburban neighborhood. Although one movie has a timeline of a whole school year, and the other only goes through one day, they both show very clearly how the average student life is and was in their respectable time frames. It is easy to compare and contrast everything from settings and timeframes, to obedience, to discipline, and also even stress given by parents. I believe I could only compare these two movies if they were realistic, and I believe that they were for the most part. It is very clear in these two movies how obedience, and disciplinary action has changed over the years. In “ The Dead Poets Society,” the kids got in trouble for such things as staying up past curfew or not turning the lights off when they were supposed to. Of course this is how some schools still work but it’s definitely no longer the social norm. When’s the last time you heard about someone getting spanked with a paddle in school? It has been a long time since I’ve heard about something like that, In America at least. If a teacher were to spank a child today, not only would they lose their job and never teach again, but they’d also have a lawsuit set against them for millions of dollars, and they’d undoubtedly lose. Now, in “ The Breakfast Club,” the kids are getting in trouble for things like bringing guns to school, assault, and possession of illegal drugs. And all the punishment they get is a simple day in Saturday School. Although the punishment doesn’t exactly fit the crime, it still shows realistically that today’s society is a lot more lenient to such things. It is also easy to compare such 2006-04-19T04:07:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Dead-Poets-Society-and-The-Breakfast-Club-28728.aspx Cognition is the process involved in thinking and mental activity, such as attention, memory and problem solving. In this essay on cognitive development I will compare and contrast the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, who were both influential in forming a more scientific approach to analyzing the cognitive development process of the child active construction of knowledge. (Flanagan 1996 P.72). I will then go onto evaluate the usefulness of these theories in understanding a child's development. Both Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children's cognitive development took place in stages. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P.149). However they were distinguished by different styles of thinking. Piaget was the first t reveal that children reason and think differently at different periods in their lives. He believed that all children progress through four different and very distinct stages of cognitive development. This theory is known as Piaget’s Stage Theory because it deals with four stages of development, which are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P. 26). In the first stage sensorimotor, which occurs from birth to the age of two is the time in an infant’s life when the child basically deals with what is presented to him. They learn about physical objects and are concerned with motor skills and the consequences of some of their actions. (Thomson, Meggit 1997 P.107). During this stage children will learn the concept of object permanence. This is where an object will continue to exist even if it is out of sight. (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P.48) The preoperational stage last from two to seven years. In this stage it becomes possible to carry on a conversation with a child and they also learn to count and use the concept of numbers. This stage is divided into the preoperational phase and the intuitive phase. Children in the preoperational phase are preoccupied with verbal skills and try to make sense of the world but have a much less sophisticated mode of thought than adults. In the intuitive phase the child moves away from drawing conclusions based upon concrete experiences with objects. One problem, which identifies children in this stage, is the inability to cognitively conserve relevant spatial information. This is when, when a material is manipulated and no longer matches the cognitive image that a child has made, that child believes the amount of material has been altered instead of just its shape. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 2006-04-19T03:59:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-of-Piaget-and-Vygotsky-on-Children-Cognition-28727.aspx Communitarian Vs. Individualistic Ideologies A Comparative Analysis: Norway Vs. United States The intent of this paper is to examine individualistic and communitarian cultural ideologies within two distinctly different political environments. The first challenge in comparing two nations is deciding which approach is most appropriate. There are several approaches in political science that have proven most beneficial when making comparisons. This study will use a comparative government approach to examine the political institutions, processes, constitutions, and functions of government within each of the two countries selected. The countries that have been chosen for this study are United States and Norway, respectively. Gregory Scott believes that the fundamental aspects of human interaction in society are the need for community (unity) and the need for individuality. The argument is that the entire history of politics is largely the story of how communities and nations resolved the inherent conflict between the universal needs for community and individuality. With that, the topic that this paper tends to address has emerged, within the study of politics in this class and others, as the single most dynamic in scope and in implication. Freedom, equality, and justice combine to build a substantial argument for the individualistic ideology. Authority, order, and democracy are all building blocks for the argument of the communitarian. Scott notes that much of what motivates individualist is a strong desire for freedom. This author also argues that we are all interdependent and authority is justified by the need to bring order to societies competing values and thoughts. In studying the history of humanity, the battleground that has been formed between the need for individuality and unity is undeniable. A person’s view of the nature of humanity is fundamental to their view of government, and its scope. If people are seen as dangerous, then a government to protect people from that danger is most appropriate. If people are viewed as capable of fulfilling their own creative potential, you may want a government that protects individual liberties (Scott, 47). These are all examples of core values for the entire foundation of government and of politics. This argument, for the use and scope of government, is divided into many different arguments that address basic issues of political science. Political scientists believe that individuals and their actions are what lead to collective problems. The problem is that our individual actions, each perfectly consistent with our individual preferences, can and 2006-04-19T03:55:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Communitarian-Vs_-Individualistic-Ideologies-28726.aspx The theory of Cognitive Dissonance states that when individuals are presented with information that implies we act in a way that contradicts our moral standards, we experience discomfort (Aronson, Wilson, and Akert, 1998, P. 191). This is considered Cognitive Dissonance. A psychological term used to describe mental conflict that occurs when beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information; arouses unease or tension; relieved by one of several defensive maneuvers: rejecting, explaining away, or avoiding new information; persuading self that no conflict really exists; reconciling differences; or resorting to any other defensive means of preserving stability or order in conception of world and of self; first introduced in 1950s; has become major point of discussion and research in psychology (as cited in Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia, 1996). This theory was developed by Leon Festinger (1957), is concerned with the relationships among cognitions. Cognition, for the purpose of this theory, may be thought of as a piece of knowledge, thoughts, feelings, or beliefs. Knowledge may be about an attitude, an emotion, a behavior, or a value. For instance, the fact that you like the color red is cognition. People have a massive amount of cognitions at the same time, and these cognitions create irrelevant, relationships with one another. Therefore, that the two cognitions have nothing to do with each other. This occurs most often when we do something that contradicts our moral beliefs. If dissonance is experienced it is almost always uncomfortable, so the individual is motivated to reduce it. This causes the individual to identify the magnitude of their discomfort and, it is possible to predict what we can do to reduce dissonance. There are three basic ways to reduce dissonance. First are changing cognitions, an example is if two cognitions don’t relate we can change one to make it relate to the other; or change each cognition in the direction of the other. The second is adding cognitions, if two cognitions cause a certain degree of dissonance, adding one or more cognitions can reduce the degree of dissonance. The third is altering importance, attempting to justify the behavior by adding new cognitions. These are the three basic ways of reducing cognitive dissonance (Aronson, Wilson, and Akert, 1998, P. 192). Leon Festinger and James Carlsmith also tested his theory in 1959. They put all the participants through a dull task. The task consisted in placing a large number of spools on pegs 2006-04-16T04:46:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Theory-of-Cognitive-Dissonance-28721.aspx Does Clothing Have an Impact on Social Interactions: An Observational Study in the Classroom There are many reasons why we choose to wear a particular article or style of clothing. Many of us consider our choice in clothing as an extension of our identity. While many others pick items from their wardrobe that reflect their current mood. There are also many times when we choose to dress a certain way in anticipation of being in a particular social setting. Even people who don’t seem to bother with matching clothes or wearing a designer label or walk around wearing clothes that are torn and dirty, are making a statement. What remains to be examined is whether or not there is a clear relationship between the clothing we wear and our social interactions. The implications of such a relationship could lend itself to a variety of benefits. Imagine knowing that if you are dressed a particular way; you are more likely to get better service in a restaurant. We already know that when showing up for a job interview, there is certain dress attire that will make you more likely to get the job. Why do you think that when you’re single and going out, you tend to spend more time getting ready and dressed up? The answer is because we associate first impressions and attraction to our physical appearances. A variety of studies using empirical reasoning in many different settings, have tried to establish a relationship between the two. Pamela Regan of California State University, Los Angeles was cited in the Washington Post as saying “First, people need to dress appropriately – if you want to be treated well, then dress the part,” after she concluded an observational study of shoppers, the service they received and the way they were dressed. Published in the Psychological Reports, 2002 her study titled “Customer Service As A Function of Shopper’s Attire’” revealed that upon entering a store, it took more than 20 seconds longer for an employee to approach a shopper dressed in gym clothes, as opposed to one dressed as if she were on her way to work. She concluded, “Clothing, like other aspects of appearance, seems to exert at least some influence on how we are perceived and treated by others,” (204). For our particular study, we wanted to examine the relationship between the dress of a student and their participation in 2006-04-16T04:40:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Does-Clothing-Have-an-Impact-on-Social-Interactions-28720.aspx Green Light Go, Red Light Stop Classical conditioning shapes many of society’s common, everyday tasks. Whether we know it or not, many actions we do numerous times a day are a direct result of classical conditioning. To better understand why we act the way we do in society, classical conditioning must be defined and described. Classical conditioning is defined as: a process by which a previously neutral stimulus acquires the capacity to elicit a response through association with a stimulus that already elicits a similar or related response. Discovered by Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning is a form of learning. Pavlov revealed this trait when experimenting with dog’s amounts of saliva in response to meat. He started noticing that after many repetitions, the dogs were salivating before the meat was even introduced. Pavlov concluded that some other stimulus that was repetitively associated with the meat was triggering the salivation. This simple concept describes how many actions are carried out in society today. Many times classical conditioning is not something that is purposefully done, but rather an incidental outcome. Conditioning may take a variable amount of time to occur. For example, humans are not born associating red with stop. As we grow, and ride in cars, we begin to consciously or subconsciously figure out that when a stoplight is red-you stop. Stop signs are red, stoplights are red, and brake lights are red. All of these things symbolize stopping. Yes, when you turn sixteen and you get your license you are told that red means stop, but by this point in your life, this is common knowledge. So how does associating red with stopping an example of classical conditioning? Within classical conditioning there are many specific components that are needed. First is an unconditioned stimulus, in this case maybe stopping cars. Next is the unconditioned response. If you see stopped cars, you will probably stop your car. A conditioned stimulus would come from noticing that the stopped cars in front of you are sitting in front of a red light and when that light turns green, they begin to move again. The conditioned response that results from this would show up when you come up to a stop light and no other cars are around. If the light is red, you now associate past experiences with your current situation and stop. Red lights in and of themselves do not convey stopping, but 2006-04-16T04:32:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classical-Conditioning-Green-Light-Go-Red-Light-Stop-28719.aspx A Reaction Paper to: “How Moral Are You?” by Kohlberg, L. (1963); The Development of children’s orientation…of moral thought & “Telling The Truth” by Barasch, Douglas S.(Family Life) I read both of these articles and found them to be interesting. In the first article, “How Moral Are You?” published in Forty Studies that changed Psychology IV by Roger R. Hock, what is discussed is Lawrence Kohlberg’s research on the formation of morality. Kohlberg believed the ability to moralize situations encountered in life develops in a specific pattern during our childhood years. He believed that a child must reach a certain stage and mentality in order to create a level of morality. I found the information he presented was interesting. Things such as: each ‘stage’ a child undergoes increases the understanding of the concept of morality and the stages always occur in a step-by-step pattern. Kohlberg reasoned the stages are “prepotent,” meaning the child understands every stage that he/she has been through and a vague idea of the stage above them (197). As for how he researched his theory, the process seems simple enough. He supplied children of different ages with “10 hypothetical moral dilemmas”(197). I found myself answering the questions about moral issues with confusion. The question that was most difficult to answer was the ‘Heinz Dilemma’ in which a man commits a crime to save his wife from dying. I would forgive his [the husband] actions because the druggist was being unfair in his offering price for his medicine. That kind of druggist shouldn’t be allowed to be creating drugs anyway…his job is to aid people not the antithesis. I enjoyed reading this article but conceived of a few flaws in his theory that he [Kohlberg] did not address though many other critiques did. The glitches in his theory were such as: although Kohlberg represents an interpretation of morality, most of these ideas represent Western culture’s and failed to apply to non-Western cultures. It was also difficult to apply his theory equally for both men and women. He did a wonderful job of explaining morality even though it would not stand up on it’s own in the years to come. The second article I read, I found to be similar to my first in the fact that they both discussed moral reasoning of children and different so-called ‘stages.’ It was published by Douglas S. Barasch in the 1998 February 2006-04-16T04:18:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Children-s-Morality-Vs-How-Moral-Are-You-28717.aspx Through what they experience on television, children are forced into adulthood at too young of an age. The innocence of youth is lost when children stare endlessly at a screen displaying the horrors of murder, rape, assault, devastating fire, and other natural disasters. Although these are occurrences in everyday life, things adults have grown accustomed to hearing about, children do not have the maturity level to deal with these tragedies appropriately. Children’s behavior changes because they become desensitized to the violence. There are many preventative techniques that can be applied to ensure that negativity on television will not interfere with a child’s development. Children see violent acts on television and make an attempt to process it, and in doing so, their innocence is lost. According to Dr. David Elkind, president emeritus, National Association for the Education of Young Children, “Television forces children to accommodate a great deal and inhibits the assimilation of material. Consequently, the television child knows a great deal more than he or she can ever understand. This discrepancy between how much information children have and what they can process is the major stress of television.” (160) Children’s minds are not fully developed; therefore, they can not be expected to understand the violence on television. The media, specifically television, has become more and more violent, in not all too subtle ways, exposing many children to behaviors not appropriate to a young audience. Remember “the Menendez brothers, who ruthlessly shot their parents as they ate ice cream and watched TV in their family room, planted in children’s minds the worst possibility -- that a parent could die violently at the hands of a child.” (Medved, et. al. 243) Seeing the violence, hearing about it, watching news reports about violent acts committed by real people, especially other children, affects the viewer negatively. Children can not relate to what they see when they are so young, making the act of watching violent television extremely questionable. Children should not know about murder and rape; however according to Gloria Tristani, Commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission, by the time they finish elementary school, children have witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence. (Tristani website) Children should not be allowed to view such behavior as they are far too young to comprehend the severity of what they see. Younger children are more susceptible to the impact of television violence in part because they 2006-04-16T03:17:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Children-and-Television-Violence-28715.aspx Anger and Aggression Everyone has felt anger or aggression many times in there life. It happens all of the time. We all face the same challenge of trying to control our temper. It may be easier for some people than it is for others. Many studies show that it is healthy for a person to let out their anger once in a while. They believe that it will help in your relationship with others and that it will increase your self-esteem. They also believe that holding anger in is bad and unhealthy for your body. If you let the anger build up it could go from just being a verbal argument to a point in which someone or something is hurt or destroyed. To control your anger you should release your aggression in a way that is not harmful to others or yourself. People that look into a problem more closely can control their anger better. These people get all of the facts and make a proactive decision. Also by looking into the problem your may find out that it wasn't as bad as you first thought. Looking into the problem will also help you look at the consequences of the action you are going to take. Researchers also believe that tv and movies have an impact on the ways we release our aggression. They believe that in some way we are all influenced in some way by movies and tv shows that we watch. If we can learn to control our anger we will see that our life, and everyone else's life is a lot safer and more peaceful. Some people may ask, "What causes a person to feel angry?" There are two answers to the question. The first is that you may feel angry with yourself or something that you may have done. The second is that you may be angry at another person or object. Some people may refer to feeling angry with yourself as internal anger and anger towards another person as external anger. An example of internal anger is that you did not do as good as you wanted to do on your test. An example of external anger is getting into an argument with a friend. There are different ways of dealing with your anger. The best way is to go right to the person that you are feeling angry with and talk to 2006-04-15T04:54:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anger-and-Aggression--28705.aspx There have been many times in life when I have turned to a “God” with problems and wanted answers or solutions and received nothing. When this happens, I take the time to reflect and ask myself, “Why, when I do some many good things, do I not receive any answers or solutions to my problems?” The book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, written by Harold S. Kushner, has brought some answers to my problems. This book explained and helps clarify why even though I am not a bad person, that sometimes bad things are bound to happen. When Kushner wrote this book I feel that, the meaning of his writings were that God does not mean to punish us, he just means to test us and present us with problems and see how we react to them. As put best he wrote, “The God I believe in does not send us the problem; he gives us the strength to cope with it.”(127). Kushner makes many references to the bible and his belief in a higher power, “God”. I personally may not think there can be one and only one God but I do believe in a higher being or power and I like how Kushner makes sure to point out that he is not calling it the God but “his” God. It shows an almost non-biast opinion and it shows a lot of respect towards all groups of people. I remember one time specifically when my grandma recently passed away I turned to God for answers. Instead of getting an answer, I got more problems. My grandma and grandma both had strokes, my best friends and a cousin got merry and is unhappy, my friend is going through an crisis with her family along with all of the other normal problems that go on in live that we, as humans, have learned to expect in everyday life. My belief in one and only one “God” diminished. I felt that there was no one up there looking out for me and then in reading this book answered a bunch of my questions on why “God” did not give me any specific answers. It showed me that perhaps God has given me the strength to move on and realize that everything will go on and how to cope with everything. Kushner also had a good point in saying that, “Could 2006-04-07T00:46:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/When-Bad-Things-Happen-to-Good-People-My-Life-Experience-28670.aspx Why People Marry- Love and Companionship Desire to have children Adult Identity Connection Personal fulfillment Continuity and Permanence Social Legitimacy, Social Pressure Economic Security Rebellion or Revenge Practical solutions to problems, What do people expect from a marriage- engagement, showers, bachelor or bachelorette parties, and a wedding, commitment, children, happiness Compare, and Contrast the four Micro-Level perspectives on the family. Which do you think best explains the family on a Micro Level? In comparing all four of the Micro-Level perspectives on the family, I find that they all deal with how the family members affect the family. Whether changes in their behavior, contributions, interactions, or the changes that occur over a period of time. In contrast they each define a different change that can occur within the family members. Symbolic Interaction looks at the behaviors of the individual family members that can affect the family, whereas Social 2006-03-30T04:50:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-Contrast-Why-People-Get-Married-28642.aspx Singlehood- Pros-) privacy, few constraints, independence, varied sexual experiences, challenging lifestyle, freedom from spousal responsibility, Cons-) lonely, depressed, anxious, stressed Cohabitiation- Pros-) maintain independence and still have emotional security, dissolve relationships without legal help, encourages people to establish meaningful relationships, intimacy provides self disclosure, keeps cost of dating down. Cons-) Enjoy few legal rights, experience loss of identity, weaker level of commitment. Same Sex Marriage- Pros-) would allow more benefits to the couples, would help make it easier to work on same sex discrimination in the work force laws Cons-) against 2006-03-30T04:45:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pros-and-Cons-of-Being-Single-and-Cohabitating-28641.aspx Sex and Singles “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” Many people feel that having casual sex is a way to fulfill a person’s sexual needs and desires, without the hassle of a commitment. Yet, many people, often women, have a tendency to wonder if the person that they are having casual sex with, cares about them, loves them, or respects them. Many women may feel this way because of the emotional attachment they get when giving themselves to another person. However, it can be a double standard. Some men may also feel this way. The truth is I do not believe that a person that gives himself or herself to another person, in the form of intercourse, is respected or loved unless they are in a relationship with their sexual partner. True, their casual sex partner may care for them, or again, they may not. I think it really depends on the situation, and with whom they are having casual sex. However, in my own personal experiences, I have never found any respect or love. In Chapter 7 of our text “Marriages and Families” the authors talk briefly about casual sex, and if a person will be respected the next day. They justify this by saying, “Maybe” however, a person that experiences casual sex in the single life, may differ in opinion. I personally have been the victim of this non- respectful act, several times. I may only speak for myself but I am sure that I am not the only person that has experienced this. I have had casual sex with people that I really liked and cared for, and when engaging in sexual intercourse, I was under the impression that my partners felt the same way. However, afterwards, or as the text says “the next day” I was not contacted again. There was no love or respect from these casual sex experiences, only lies to get what they wanted. Did these partners say that they loved me, and cared for me before I gave in, and gave myself to them? Of course they did beforehand, in which is the case for many people that have casual sex with another person, without being in a relationship. Our text also justifies my experience by stating twenty years ago, both men and women felt that it was ok to have sexual intercourse with a person that they liked. However, today, less people 2006-03-29T06:11:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sex-and-Singles-Will-You-Still-Love-Me-Tommorow-28631.aspx Ending Corporal Punishment: Protecting the Children Worst-case scenario; try a tantrum on for size. Many people do not make it through life without witnessing at least one child, throwing a tantrum. Some people witness these tantrums in the privacy of other people’s homes, or out in the public. The children kick, scream, bite, and pinch, in protest, to get what they want from their parents. It cannot get much worse than this for a parent; so what does one do? Should the parent spank the child, or will that only make matters worse? Many people share different views on the capital punishment of children. Some people feel that slapping, pinching, biting, paddling, and yelling at a child, are legitimate forms of discipline however, other people believe that using corporal punishment, to structure a child’s behavior, damages the child 2006-03-29T06:08:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ending-Corporal-Punishment-Protecting-Children-28630.aspx The Causes of Divorce In America today, one of many people’s main life goals is to marry the first person they fall in love with, live happily ever after, and skip gleefully away to live the American dream. However, millions of married couples quickly find themselves turning to divorce as an answer, to ending the fairy tale they had once dreamed. Many people would ask “why?” the perfect couple would choose such a negative ending to their once happy marriage. In some cases, many couples have to question their own motives for divorce. Although there are many alternate roots to fixing the simplest problems that may occur in a marriage, for some, simple does not always mean easy. It is certain that the cause of divorce varies from couple to couple, yet lack of communication, money and children, is among the most common causes of divorce. Lack of communication in a marital relationship, is one of the most common causes of divorce, because when two people lack communication, they are unable to solve problems that may occur in the marriage. Many married couples think that the minor problems that occur in their marriage, are insignificant, and are not worth talking about; however, they fail to realize that even the smallest things can cause conflict between the two when they are not able to solve them through communication. Many couples lack communication when it comes to making decisions about shared finances. This can cause financial issues to arise, and arguments to escalade in the marriage. Many couples also lack communication when it comes to making decisions for their children. When one spouse does not agree with a decision made by the other spouse, then an argument can occur, and result by one or both parties sharing a feeling of resentment against the other. Lack of communication in all areas of the marriage, can cause strain on the relationship. It is common for many couples to subject themselves to the distractions of everyday life, therefore leaving very little time for communication. This can cause marital problems to be over looked, triggering a range of feelings to explode in the marital relationship, and result in divorce. Another common cause of divorce is money. Many people say, “Money is the root of all evil,” as in a marriage it can be the root of all problems. When one spouse makes all of the financial decisions, and 2006-03-29T06:01:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Causes-of-Divorce-28627.aspx “Mona Lisa Smile” Set in the American Housewife circa of the 1950’s, the movie, “Mona Lisa Smile” is an inspirational film that explores life through feminism, marriage, and education lead by a modernist teacher at the end of a traditional era. It begins by introducing the lead character, Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), a liberal-minded novice professor from California, who lands a job in the art history department at a snobbish, all-girl college, called Wellesley, in the fall of 1953. Despite warnings from her boyfriend Paul (John Slattery) that a Boston Brahmin environment was out of her element, Katherine was thrilled at the prospect of educating some of the brightest young women in the country however; her image of Wellesley quickly fizzles after her first day of class, in which, was more like a baptism by fire. Her smug students flaunted their exhaustive knowledge of the text and humiliated her in front of a supervisor. However, Katherine, determined not to buckle under pressure, departs from the syllabus in order to regain the upper hand. She quickly challenged the girls’ idea of what constituted art and exposed them to modern artist not endorsed by the school board. She dared them to think for themselves, and explore outside of their traditional views. This form of art was unacceptable by the students at first however; overtime Katherine penetrated her student’s distain and earned their esteem. The notable exception was the moralistic upper-crust brat Betty (Kirsten Dunst), who sarcastically challenged Katherine from day one, and who caused Katherine’s colleague and friend Amanda (Juliet Stevenson) to be fired by revealing in a school newspaper editorial that the free-thinking faculty member was supplying contraceptives to the students. This was unacceptable according to the staff of Wellesley because they felt that supplying women with contraceptives, was like condoning sexual activity before marriage, in which, sexual activity was not deemed as appropriate behavior for a woman who sought to be married by a man from upscale Harvard. They felt that a woman who had engaged in premarital sex, would not be sought as pure, or worthy of a strong intelligent man. Betty’s editorial caused Amanda, a former graduate of Wellesley, and senior staff member, to be fired from the only life that she had left after the death of her lesbian lover; whom also was a former staff member. However, Betty was strong in her beliefs that the college, society, 2006-03-29T05:57:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conflict-Theory-on-Mona-Lisa-Smile-Feminist-28626.aspx Under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment reads as follows : "...no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or the immunities of citizens of the United States,nor without due process of the law,nor to deny to any person within it's jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." How did our freedom of speach get replaced by political correctness? How did affirmative action and the socialist's special intrest laws replace the 14th amendment?Is it defined as reverse discrimination? Why is this unlawful matter tolerated by the majority?Could it be that the government favors the socialists agendas to live under the policies of a dictator?Also one would be unfairly judged by our government if we were to assert our selves. Thomas Jefferson said,"When the people fear the government,that is tyranny.When the government fear the people,that is freedom." The constitution was written so that the common 2006-02-18T00:59:58-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Minority-Rules-Synopsis--28507.aspx Smoking: Onset And Maintenance Discuss the role of psychological factors in explaining the onset and maintenance of smoking. A health behavior is defined as a ‘behavior aimed at preventing disease’, such as eating a healthy diet (Karl & Cobb, 1996). Health impairing habits are those that include the use of behaviour pathogens, such as smoking (Matarazzo, 1984). Studies have been done which look at the extent to which our own behaviour is responsible for our health. In 1979, McKeown stated that ‘contemporary illness is influenced by the individual’s own behaviour and it is on modification of personal habits that health primarily depends’. He also found that the main cause of death in affluent societies is people’s own behaviours and in 1981, Doll & Peto found that of all cancer deaths, around thirty percent can be directly attributed to the behavioural factor, tobacco smoking. It is now widely recognised that regular cigarette smoking is harmful to health and smoking cessation would have major and immediate health benefits for men and women of all ages (Novello, 1990). These include the risk of diseases such as lung cancer, first reported in 1954 (Doll & Hill), heart disease and emphysema (Peto et al. 1994). However, in spite of all the evidence about the detrimental effects of smoking, the world consumption of cigarettes is estimated at around six hundred billion cigarettes per year (Bawazeer et al. 1999). In Britain, the amount of cigarettes smoked per person, the prevalence of smoking, is decreasing, much more in men than women, but in comparison, women are starting to smoke more, therefore stopping more, whereas men may start less than women, but they are quitting less too (Ogden, 2000). A General Household Survery conducted in 1994 found that two-thirds of people want to give up smoking and the majority of people stated it is difficult to not smoke for the whole day. Research investigating the reasons that people smoke has evaluated social, pharmacological and psychological factors. Recently there has been more focus on children and adolescents who smoke, since most try a puff of a cigarette (Ogden, 2000). It is difficult to distinguish between actual initiation and maintenance of smoking behaviour and in 1962, no common agreement on the reasons why people start to smoke had been reached. For the most part, the various explanations fell into the psychological realm (Seltzer, 1962). Now, it is widely accepted that the factors that influence 2006-02-16T03:23:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Smoking-Onset-And-Maintenance-Psychological-Factors-28496.aspx Let Me Hear Your Body Talk Nonverbal Dictionary. Com defines nonverbal communication as communication behavior that is expressed in any other means besides “words”. Research suggests that nonverbal communication is more important in understanding human behavior than words alone--the nonverbal "channels" seem to be more powerful than what people say. Zig Ziglar is quoted in saying “nonverbal communication can also be described as dynamic process that engages body, mind and society” . Presenting You need to be aware of your nonverbal communication from the moment you stand up until your presentation is completed. The importance of positive eye contact and the correct use of posture and hand movement or any nonverbal cue to accompany your presentation cannot be overstated. Nonverbal cues are symbols with meaning interpretations. In general, nonverbal symbols perform five functions in communication. 1. Accenting-calling attention to the message source using some device (hitting the table for example) 2. Complimenting-using nonverbal cues to enhance the meaning of verbal symbols, 3. Substituting-a nonverbal symbol replaces a verbal symbol (holding up hand to indicate “stop”) 4. Contradicting-the nonverbal symbol sends a message different from the verbal symbols. (agreeing to a subject with your arms folded) 5. Regulating-While engaged in a conversation, you would most likely use nonverbal communication as an indicator of the flow of conversation. (when speaking you may wait a moment for a pause to interject an opinion. Nonverbal symbols can be arranged among three general categories: 1. Paralanguage--nonverbal enhancements to language symbols 2. Kinesics--nonverbal symbols of body movement (gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, appearance) 3. Proxemics--nonverbal symbols of distance, space, and time The inflection, tempo, emphasis, or tone adds meaning to oral presentations. Paralanguage includes any device that can be used to modify the meaning interpretation of a verbal symbol. These devices include inflection or emphasis added to spoken symbols or highlighting, bolding, or all capital letters added to written symbols. For example, look at the following sentence and read it while emphasizing each word in sequence. I didn't say she stole the money. When emphasizing the word "I," the sentence takes on a shaded meaning from its non-emphasized state. Emphasizing the word "didn't" changes the meaning of the sentence, as does emphasizing the word "say." Depending on which word is emphasized (paralanguage), the sentence carries a different meaning interpretation. 2006-02-04T17:21:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nonverbal-Communication--28468.aspx Economic Growth What is meant by economic growth? Economic growth is an increase of the in the real level of output. It refers to an increase in a countries annual output of goods and services. The most common measure of this is G.D.P. Economic growth figures must be corrected for inflation. Nominal G.D.P. is not adjusted for inflation whereas real G.D.P. is. Economic growth is also a long-term expansion of the productive potential of the economy. Sustained economic growth should lead to an increase in real living standards and rising employment. Explain the differences between an economic recession and an economic boom. An economic recession and an economic boom are best described using the diagram of the economic cycle as shown below. There are four important stages. The slowdown towards the recession and the recovery towards a boom. They are both opposites to each other. A recession is a period when a country’s economy is less successful and more people become unemployed. Whilst a boom is the peak of a countries economy and it is at its most successful. We see a recession on the diagram when the real GDP goes down and not up. When it at the furthest down it is going to go and it goes back up, it is called the trough of recession. Whilst the boom is when GDP is at its highest it is going to go before it will drop. This is called the peak of the boom. Why is investment important to the UK economy? Investment is when money from profits made are used to buy products that aid production in order to increase the quality or quantity of the output. Investment is normally in new capital. This will increase output from normal and also mean that they would be getting more out than they were putting in. The UK economy at the moment is not as productive as the Japanese or the American economy. The Japanese invested loads of money into new modern capital after the World War 2. This is why they are doing well. Whilst American productivity is twice that of the UK. This is because the Americans had recently over time invested a lot into buying new capital to the point that they now have too much. The UK economy is suffering, as they have not spent much in recent years investing in capital. The capital they use now, are old and not as 2006-01-29T05:52:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Growth--28460.aspx [size=18:9e66fd82e7]Labour Issues in India - brief overview[/size:9e66fd82e7] Absenteeism and Labour Turnover For many industries, lack of trained labour force is a problem. However, these problems are compounded by the fact that there are multitudes of unemployed potential labourers who, however, do not have the adequate skills for the job. Additionally, many do not also have the means to market themselves, or to make themselves available for jobs. Hence, lack of availability of labour is not merely a demand-supply problem, it has deeper socio-economic roots that need to be looked at from various perspectives. However, in many organized sectors where the demand for labour has been effectively met, absenteeism and huge turnover of labourers bring about their own problems. In many cases, absenteeism is prevalent in PSUs and government owned organizations. Causes are many, and include unionism, lack of ownership and participation, availability of alternate employment, misuse of benefits and remuneration and sometimes, lack of effective management control. Women Employee Problems Since time immemorial and despite the vast cultural and historical richness of our country, women are still considered less capable than men where labour is concerned. Of course, the reasons are cultural and socio-economic. Firstly, women are not considered physically fit for labour, and are often relegated to menial tasks. This deprives them of adequate compensation. Secondly, physical activity continues beyond working hours, in the household, depriving them of rest. A sacrificial mindset also makes them susceptible to malnutrition and poor health, which again affects their livelihood. Therefore, it is hard for women to actually come out of this vicious cycle in which they are trapped, simply because of their gender. The challenge is to change the mindset of a society which still sees women labourers more as beasts of burden. However, there has been some progress which has been achieved with active government and NGO intervention. In many established companies and industries in the private sector, gender is not a consideration for employment and is neither are women employees and labourers discriminated against for pay or opportunity. In fact, in socially aware business houses like the Tatas, gender equality is an important part of their triple-bottom line concept, which enshrines equal opportunity for all, irrespective of caste, creed, gender, religion, nationality or ethnicity. Despite these minor but significant positive stories, women continue to receive an unequal deal in the labour sector. Child labour According to the 1991 Census, the number of working children in the country was of 2006-01-22T08:08:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Labour-Issues-in-India-Brief-Description-28450.aspx Macroeconomic Policy Recommendations; Fiscal policies: taxation The means by which a government adjusts its level of spending in order to monitor and influence a nation’s economy it’s known as Fiscal policy. The federal government’s chief source of funds to cover its expenses is the income tax on individuals, which in 1999 brought 48% of total federal revenues. An argument can be made about the use of taxes as a means to influence the economy. Hence the reason most debates about income tax today as a macroeconomic policy revolve around three issues: (1) the appropriate overall level of taxation; (2) how graduate, or “progressive” the tax should be; and (3) the extent to which the tax should be used to promote social objectives. In fact, some economists-democrats and republicans- have suggested that the economy would fare better if the government would eliminate the income tax altogether and replace it with a consumption tax, taxing people on what they spend rather than what they earn. As a result, we will take a look at consumption tax as a macroeconomic policy to stimulate the current U.S. economy. On an interview conducted by a news journalist quoting Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve Chairman, pointing out the merits of a “consumption tax,” as well as the challenges of setting up such a tax. Greenspan added that, “the consumption taxes could take the form of national retail sales taxes or a value added tax, imposed on the increased value of a good or service at each stage of manufacture and distribution and ultimately passed on to the customer” (fox news online). A consumption tax—also known as an expenditures tax, consumed-income tax, or cash-flow tax—is a tax on what people spend instead of what they earn. Moreover, most of the political debate over a consumption tax has centered on whether the United States should adopt a value-added tax (VAT) similar to the ones that European countries have. While a VAT definitely is a tax on consumption, it is not the kind that most consumption-tax advocates prefer. What's more, the debate over whether to add a VAT to the U.S. tax code has obscured the more basic issue of whether to tax income or consumption. Our contention here is to tax consumption as a means to simplify taxes and stimulate the U.S. economy. First, proponents of a consumption tax argue that it is superior to an 2006-01-12T00:46:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fiscal-Policies-and-Taxation-28418.aspx Gender Studies Human behavior is influenced and shaped by social forces and personal characteristics. Work behavior is social behavior. To understand gender related issues one has to build a joint construct of individual agents and their social cultural context. This is even more true when the countries involved are oceans apart as in this study i.e. the USA and India. Different nations have different cultural heritages which are values collectively held by a majority of population (possibly differentiated by social classes), and these values are transferred from generation to generation through education, early childhood experiences in the family, schools and through socialization in organizations and institutions. These values become social norms for that society. It is hard to see this proce ss in one's own culture. A deep and painfully acquired empathy for other cultures is required before one becomes sensitive to the range of social norms., for truths in one society may be falsehoods in another. Hofstede (1980) after analyzing research data from forty different modern nations has come up with a scale of characteristics that can be used to distinguish the prevailing cultures in various countries of the world.2 Based on that scale Americans would be characterized as high in individualism, low in power distance, low on uncertainty avoidance, and high on masculinity. Indians (middle class) would be high on individualism, high on power distance, high on uncertainty avoidance, and high on masculinity. Management itself is very much an American concept. Other countries can learn new ideas in management and organizational politics from America, however to apply to one's own setting, needs prudence and judgment Indian middle class already shares American values about achievement, that is the reason perhaps McClelland could build on those values when he did research in India.3 Up until 1954 researchers tended to ignore females workers as subjects of their research. Between 1954-66 sex-role measures developed. From 1974 to 1982 androgyny was established as sex-role ideal.4 Later, the females researchers pointed out some meaningful differences between the sexes and new theories of sex-roles are still in formation.5, 6 As far as management motivation is concerned most of the recent studies show that there is very little difference in the aspirations and goals between males and females in Library and Information Science and other fields. 7, 8, 9 The experience by females of finding a "glass-ceiling" (1991)10 at the top of the promotion ladder, and the 2006-01-03T05:06:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gender-Studies--28384.aspx The Minimum Wage and Why We Should Leave it Alone When was the last time a "value" meal from McDonald, let alone any other fast food chain, did not cost five dollars or more? When was the last time premium gas was under a dollar a gallon? It's hard to remember, isn't it? Wouldn't it be great if everything cost a nickel, like back in the good ol' days? According to the laws of economics, it's not logical for things to have gotten more expensive competition should drive prices down. Then why have prices continued to rise over the years? The continuing demand of more money for less work has forced Uncle Sam to raise the minimum wage innumerable times in the last half century, which results in higher prices for the rest of us. Another raise in the minimum wage would, as all the others before it, raise prices for consumers, which would again result in another demand for a raise in the minimum wage. It's a viscous cycle that must be stopped before it loses control. Not only does a raise in minimum wage result in a raise in the cost of living, it also causes the dismissal of hardworking people who are happy with their current income. When the firing axe starts to fall, seniority often determines who goes and who stays. The more a single employee costs a business an hour, the fewer employees the business can afford to employee an hour. This results in the dismissal of employees to compensate for a raise in labor costs, which creates a smaller staff, which results in slipshod service. Although most reasonable people would rather pay more for better service, the plain fact of the matter is that the service hasn't really gotten any better. The service is better than it was when there weren't enough employees so people assume the service itself has gotten better, while the truth is that the service is just as haphazard as before. The laborers are simply replaced because of a need for more employees, more often than not by people who have never worked in those positions before. By having a staff that is constantly fluctuating, the business hurts itself the service is hurt because the new employees are in need of training, and in the end it is us, the consumers, who feel the real pain The pain we experience is that 2005-12-22T11:18:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Against-Raising-the-Minimum-Wage-28202.aspx Cognitive Dissonance Theory "Your best friend is having a beer bash tonight. Everyone you talk to indicated their positive intentions of going to the best beer bash of the millennium. However, you have a Psyc 135 final next morning that you haven't studied for. Your midterm scores have been low going into the final, but everyone claims that the final is easy every semester. Should you stay home and study for the final or go to this millennium beer bash and merrily consume alcohol?" Above stated scenario raises several questions in my mind and lands me in a state of psychological tension. Having a choice of attending a social event or studying for the final exam puts me in a dilemma as to what to do next. Deciding to stay home and study for a test may very well anger my friends, but may also cause a terrible sense of well being of missing out on a social event. While deciding to go to the party instead, it leads me in a state of tension as the party time can be well spent on studying for the final exam next morning. This state of uneasiness or tension is easily understood as Cognitive Dissonance. Cognitive Dissonance Theory, developed by Leon Festinger (1957), is concerned with the relationships among cognitions (Festinger, 1957). In this context, cognition can be perceived as a piece of knowledge that may inscribe an element of an attitude, an emotion, a behavior, a value, and so on (Festinger, 1957). For example, the knowledge that you like the color blue is a cognition. People hold a multitude of cognitions simultaneously, and these cognitions form irrelevant, consonant or dissonant relationships with one another. Cognitive Irrelevance probably describes the bulk of the relationships among a person's cognitions. Irrelevance simply means that the two cognitions have nothing to do with each other. Two cognitions are consonant if one cognition fits with or is consistent with the other. People like consonance among their cognitions. We do not know whether this aspect is innate or is learned, but people do prefer cognitions that fit together to those that do not. It is this simple observation that gives the theory of cognitive dissonance its interesting form. And, two cognitions are said to be dissonant or incompatible if one cognition follows from the opposite of another (Festinger, 1957). Continuing on with the scenario, having decided to attend 2005-12-22T11:03:49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cognitive-Dissonance-Theory-28200.aspx Bipolar Disease Description: What is unipolar illness? When the mood is just depressed. This is far more common than bipolar illness. What is bipolar disease? Bipolar disorders (manic-depressive illness) are marked by periods of manic, greatly elated moods or excited states as well as by periods of depression. Although the manic-depressive psychosis may alternate from one of its phases to the other, one or the other phase is usually dominant for a while. Depression is more often dominant than mania. Manic-depressive patients often recover spontaneously for periods of time, but relapses are fairly common. Most often this disease is genetic. Bipolar is a severe mental disorder. There are 2 types of the bipolar diseases: Bipolar 1 & bipolar 2. Bipolar 1- person experiences at least one, and usually many more, manic episodes, alternating with episodes of major depression Bipolar 2- the individual experiences periods of hypomania alternating with episodes of major depression. What is cyclothymia? Similar to bipolar disorder since it is characterized by mood swings from mania to depression. However, there are several important differences between the two. A person with cyclothymia experiences symptoms of hypomania but never a full-blown hypomanic episode. A person with cyclothymia is never symptom-free for longer than two months. The Affective Spectrum- Some people who have bipolar disorder (manic depression) or unipolar disorder (depression-only) have co-existing conditions such as migraines, attention deficit disorder, fibromyalgia, eating disorders, etc The following have been identified (so far) as part of the medical spectrum, which may accompany affective disorders: · attention deficit disorder (ADD & ADHD) · body dysmorphic disorder · cataplexy · eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, binging) · fibromyalgia (includes chronic fatigue) · impulse-control disorders · irritable bowel syndrome · kleptomania · migraine/severe headache · narcolepsy · intermittent explosive disorder · pathological gambling · pyromania · personality disorders · post traumatic stress disorder · substance abuse and addiction (includes alcoholism) · obsessive-compulsive disorder · panic disorder · Tourette's disorder · anxiety disorders · autism Symptoms: Mania- Increased energy- Decreased Sleep, Little Fatigue, an Increase in Activities, and Restlessness. Speech disruptions- Rapid Speech and Incoherent Speech Impaired judgment- Lack of Insight, Inappropriate Humor and Behavior, Impulsive Behavior, Financial Extravagance, and Grandiose Thinking. Changes in thought patterns- Irritability, Excitability, Hostility, and Feelings of Exhilaration Changes in Perception- Inflated Self-Esteem, Hallucinations, Paranoia, and Increased Religious Activities Depression- Changes in Activity- Decreased Energy, Fatigue, Lethargy, Diminished Activity, Insomnia or Hypersomnia, Loss 2005-12-22T11:02:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bipolar-Disease-Description-28199.aspx World Trade Organization (WTO), international body that promotes and enforces the provisions of trade laws and regulations. The World Trade Organization has the authority to administer and police new and existing free trade agreements, to oversee world trade practices, and to settle trade disputes among member states. The WTO was established in 1994 when the members of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a treaty and international trade organization, signed a new trade pact. The WTO was created to replace GATT. The WTO began operation on January 1, 1995. GATT and the WTO coexisted until December 1995, when the members of GATT met for the last time. Although the WTO replaced GATT, the trade agreements established by GATT in 1994 are part of the WTO agreement. However, the WTO has a significantly broader scope than GATT. GATT regulated trade in merchandise goods. The WTO expanded the GATT agreement to include trade in services, such as international telephone service, and protections for intellectual property—that is, creative works that can be protected legally, such as sound recordings and computer programs. The WTO is also a formally structured organization whose rules are legally binding on its member states. The organization provides a framework for international trade law. Members can refer trade disputes to the WTO where a dispute panel composed of WTO officials serves as arbitrator. Members can appeal this panel’s rulings to a WTO appellate body whose decisions are final. Disputes must be resolved within the time limits set by WTO rules. All of the 128 nations that were contracting parties to the new GATT pact at the end of 1994 became members of the WTO upon ratifying the GATT pact. By 2003 the WTO had 146 members. The WTO is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is controlled by a General Council made up of member states’ ambassadors who also serve on various subsidiary and specialist committees. The ministerial conference, which meets every two years and appoints the WTO’s director-general, oversees the General Council. Since its creation, the WTO has attracted criticism from those concerned about free trade and economic globalization. Opponents of the WTO argue that the organization is too powerful because it can declare the laws and regulations of sovereign nations in violation of trade rules, in effect pressuring nations to change these laws. Critics also charge that WTO trade rules do not sufficiently protect workers’ rights, the environment, or human 2005-12-13T00:00:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-Trade-Organization-WTO-28180.aspx Economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition of economic development. There is no single definition that encompasses all the aspects of economic development. The most comprehensive definition perhaps of economic development is the one given by Todaro: ‘Development is not purely an economic phenomenon but rather a multi – dimensional process involving reorganization and re orientation of the entire economic and social system. Development is a process of improving the quality of all human lives with three equally important aspects. These are: 1. Raising peoples’ living levels, i.e. incomes and consumption, levels of food, medical services, education through relevant growth processes. 2. Creating conditions conducive to the growth of peoples’ self esteem through the establishment of social, political and economic systems and institutions which promote human dignity and respect. 3. Increasing peoples’ freedom to choose by enlarging the range of their choice variables.’ Economic growth may be defined as an increase in a country's ability to produce goods and services. Economic growth merely refers to an increase in the real Gross Domestic Product, or GDP per capita over a period of time. It is natural to be misled by the idea that economic growth is the key to economic development and perhaps a condition of development itself, but development is more than simply increasing economic output i.e. GDP per capita. It is a wider concept than economic growth. A country's economy may experience real growth of GDP with no economic development taking place. Nevertheless, wider more meaningful indicators of development are often correlated with GDP per capita, such as The Physical Quality of Life Index, Human Development Index, Human Poverty Index and the Human Suffering Index, which help us include the non-monetary factors of development. Amartya Sen defines economic development in terms of personal freedom, freedom to choose from a range of options. While economic growth may lead to an increase in the purchasing power of people, if the country has a repressed economy, there is lack of choice and hence personal freedom in restricted. Hence once again growth has taken place without any development. While economic growth may result in an improvement in the standard of living of a relatively small proportion of the population whilst the majority of the population remains poor. It is how the economic growth is distributed amongst the population that determines the level of development. Taking into consideration the trickle-down theory of 2005-12-01T07:10:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Is-Economic-Growth-Necessary-for-Economic-Development-28148.aspx As far back as we have written records, there have been accounts of the unusual phenomena occurring in connection with dreams. Dreams are the release of unconscious thoughts and desires. I also feel like dreams are a an important unifying factor within humanity. The ancients typically believed that dreams were divinely inspired experiences providing counsel and instruc­tion for their waking lives. The Egyptians practiced dream incubation, i.e., sleeping in temples in a deliberate effort to induce divinely inspired dreams. In fact, There are many types of paranormal experiences that have been reported in dreams. There is nothing in this field that is a 100% concrete fact. There are always differing viewpoints regarding the psychology of dreams. One of the most widespread theories concerning the cause of dreams concerns, the psyche. “Dreams are the result of subconscious thoughts and desires. The other theory to dreams are random noises in the neurons of the brain without special meaning. Dreams are the mental activity that takes place during sleep. “Usually during REM sleep is when dreams occur” (Oxford University). Normally everyone dreams several times a night…some drugs and alcohol may impair the dream process. The inability to recall dreams is not abnormal though. Dreams are c communication of the body, mind, and spirit in a symbolic state. The human brains are in constant activity when sleeping. Different states of conciseness cause different brain wave activity. The brain usually has ordinary sequences of imagination. For thousands of years dreams were regarded as “visions” or “prophesies.” Dreams seem to be a way for the subconscious mind to sort out and process all the input that is encountered while people are awake. Dreams can also improve your emotional well being, reduce stress, improve creativity, and provide a “playground for your mind” while your body recovers and repairs itself. Contrary to the view that dreams server no function one theorist suggests that, “dreams are the brains way of ‘unlearning’ or removing certain or unneeded memories” (Kasschall, Richard). In other words dreams are a form of mental housecleaning.” (www.GoldenEssays.Com) Therefore, it can be inferred that even the top scientist in the world will never discover the true meaning of dreams, or maybe we as humans already have and just do not realize it. In Judeo-Christian and Islamic scriptures the divinely inspired dream is a well-known theme. This suggests that there was some familiarity with the idea of 2005-12-01T04:57:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Synchroncities-in-the-History-of-Paranormal-Dreaming-28144.aspx The development of a child in its mother’s womb is affected by everything she consumes and inhales. All the nourishment is provided in all the vitamins, minerals, and important foods that she eats. So too are toxins. While this is not truly “providing” for the child, it is still affecting its growth and development in negative ways. The smoking of marijuana can affect the future behavior of the child while alcohol can cause severe physical abnormalities. These can be detrimental to a child and a burden for the parents for a lifetime. The following describes and explains the effects of cannabis and alcohol to a developing child in its mother’s womb. Cannabis, weed, stink, and dank are just a few words to describe marijuana these days. Along with the creative names come even more potent hybrids of this illegal substance. These more certainly have the varying effects on the growing fetus of a mother that so chooses to smoke marijuana while she conceives and is pregnant. It’s bad to say that one substance is better than another when it comes to the malfunctioned development of a child, but it seems that the effects of marijuana pale in comparison to alcohol. Many studies have been conducted concerning the effects of marijuana on a child while in the mother's womb and after being born. Dr. Beth Nordstrom acknowledges one of the lasting effects of marijuana when she states that, “Children prenatally exposed to marijuana are two times more likely than unexposed children to rail a standard hearing test by age 7” (Brunk p. 1). Upon further research, many hearing deficiencies were addressed as well as success in the classroom. Dr. Nordstrom adds that, “…children exposed to marijuana throughout pregnancy were nearly three times more likely to experience school-age hearing problems than children exposed to the drug around the time of conceptions only” (p. 1). Hearing loss can be addressed and dealt with if income level allows. These victims of their mothers’ enjoyment will have problems if the problem is not addressed. Children who suffer from hearing problems tend to have difficulties in the classroom due to the simple fact that they are not hearing sounds correctly. Speech may be impeded thus leading the child to develop a lisp. The child may have to spend time with a speech therapist to rectify the problem (if it can be). These children may have difficulties with peers that 2005-11-26T01:49:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Alcohol-vs-Marijuana-on-a-Fetus-28133.aspx Composite Indicators of Poverty and Living Standards: Development is more than simply increasing economic output i.e.GDP per capita. It is a wider concept than economic growth. Even if a country's economy experiences real growth of GDP it does not mean that economic development is taking place. Nevertheless, wider more meaningful indicators of development are often correlated with GDP per capita. The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) In this index three single indicators were combined together; life expectancy at birth, infant mortality and literacy rates. For each indicator the performance of individual countries were rated on a scale of 1 to 100 where 1 represents the worst and 100 the best. There was a correlation with the GDP per capita however it was not as close as might be expected. The Human Development Index (HDI) This index, produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), includes indicators of longevity, knowledge and income. It combines life expectancy (at birth), an average of literacy rates and number of years of education and GDP expressed in terms of its purchasing power in the domestic economy. Some countries have shown rapid economic growth but have not shown correspondingly high HDI index. The Human Suffering Index (HIS) The index ranks people according to the level of human suffering based on 10 measures • Life expectancy • Daily calorie supply • Access to clean water • Infant immunisation • Secondary school enrolment • Per capita GDP • Rate of inflation • Communications • Technology • Political freedom • Civil rights Human Poverty Index The United Nations defines poverty as the "denial of choices and opportunities most basic to human development-to lead a long healthy, creative life and enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom, self esteem and the respect of others" Whilst the Human Development Index measures the progress of the country in achieving development the Human Poverty Index is more aimed at reflecting on how the progress is distributed and the level of deprivation and poverty being experienced in the country. There are two HPI indices most commonly used. HPI-1 is a measure of absolute poverty used in Less Developed Countries and HPI-2 is a measure of relative poverty used in More Developed Countries. HPI-1 measures poverty in Less Developed Countries. The variables used are: • the percentage of people expected to die before age 40 • the percentage of adults who are illiterate • deprivation in overall economic provisioning-public and private-reflected by the percentage of people without access to health services and safe water and the percentage of underweight children 2005-11-24T11:27:52-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Composite-Indicators-of-Poverty-and-Living-Standards-28130.aspx Explain the main differences between a command economy and a free market economy. An economy may be defined as the state of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services, and the supply of money. A planned economy is an economic system in which economic decisions are made by centralized planners, who determine what sorts of goods and services to produce, how they are to be priced, and allocated. Since most known planned economies rely on plans implemented by the way of command, they have become widely known as command economies. These are generally associated with socialist or communist economic systems. A free market economy is an economy in which the allocation for resources is determined only by their supply and the demand for them. Every economic system is based on a different philosophical stand than the others. These differences are caused by the different responses that each economy has to the problem of scarcity. However, economies don’t always work as their theoretical models and take some components from each system to develop an economy that works. Thus, economies are graded as being free market economies or planned economies using a tool called the economic spectrum, where the planned economies are placed on the left and the free market economies on the right. Below is the spectrum along with the different names that each economy may be known as. Centrally Planned Mixed Economy Free Market Economy 2005-11-24T11:27:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Free-Market-Vs-Command-Economy-28129.aspx ‘Economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition of economic development.’ There is no single definition that encompasses all the aspects of economic development. The most comprehensive definition perhaps of economic development is the one given by Todaro: ‘Development is not purely an economic phenomenon but rather a multi – dimensional process involving reorganization and re orientation of the entire economic and social system. Development is a process of improving the quality of all human lives with three equally important aspects. These are: 1. Raising peoples’ living levels, i.e. incomes and consumption, levels of food, medical services, education through relevant growth processes. 2. Creating conditions conducive to the growth of peoples’ self esteem through the establishment of social, political and economic systems and institutions which promote human dignity and respect. 3. Increasing peoples’ freedom to choose by enlarging the range of their choice variables.’ Economic growth may be defined as an increase in a country's ability to produce goods and services. Economic growth merely refers to an increase in the real Gross Domestic Product, or GDP per capita over a period of time. It is natural to be misled by the idea that economic growth is the key to economic development and perhaps a condition of development itself, but development is more than simply increasing economic output i.e. GDP per capita. It is a wider concept than economic growth. A country's economy may experience real growth of GDP with no economic development taking place. Nevertheless, wider more meaningful indicators of development are often correlated with GDP per capita, such as The Physical Quality of Life Index, Human Development Index, Human Poverty Index and the Human Suffering Index, which help us include the non-monetary factors of development. Amartya Sen defines economic development in terms of personal freedom, freedom to choose from a range of options. While economic growth may lead to an increase in the purchasing power of people, if the country has a repressed economy, there is lack of choice and hence personal freedom in restricted. Hence once again growth has taken place without any development. While economic growth may result in an improvement in the standard of living of a relatively small proportion of the population whilst the majority of the population remains poor. It is how the economic growth is distributed amongst the population that determines the level of development. Taking into consideration the trickle-down theory of economics by Lewis, if the growth in economy is not sufficient 2005-11-24T11:23:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Growth-vs-Economic-Development-28127.aspx 1. Many countries use forms of or are considering road pricing (e.g. City-center of Singapore, Autostrada in Italy) to ease congestion. What is the economic rationale behind these measures? In an economy, people will make micro economic decisions. Above report is a mixed economy example, government and the private sector jointly solves this problem, (markets). The key problem is the loss of productivity. Slow travelling over a motorway or standing still, give a negative slope on productivity, the opportunity costs are high. To solve this time related problem of ‘excessive’ road use or in terms; Infinite demand of road usage, the idea is to charge for road usage, (prices). Does that help? It depends on several factors. As we can see in the above-mentioned report, we can see a negative relationship between price and road use; the higher the price of the road use, the less traffic that will use that road. What are the economic frameworks behind the strategy of road pricing? a. Infinite wants and finite resources: Infinite wants is a term to express the limitless desires to consume goods and services. The problem is that the capacity of the road is finite. I.e., one of the desires of a car owner is to use the motorway, at any hour he wants, in terms ‘Infinite wants’. This situation will persist as long as that does not affect their finite resources. By charging for motorway use at specific hours, users will have to make financial choices. Moreover, by doing that, the rational is that one has to look for competing offers or look for lower charged times, that is an opportunity. b. Opportunity costs: I.e. avoiding the charged motorway by driving the ‘long and slow way’ via small streets will cost extra time. Also with taking, a bus or driving on low priced hours. Users want to minimize their opportunity costs, for the reason of their finite resources, (at least a given time). 2. What are the different elasticities that influence demand for road usage in a mixed market system? a. Name different kinds of elasticities for demand and their underlying economic reasons with respect to road pricing. b. Provide a reasoned assessment of the degree of elasticity or inelasticity of these elasticities. 2005-11-11T16:14:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Road-Pricing--28098.aspx “Explain the concept of a double-dissociation using the contrast between Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia” An important concept in neuropsychology is the notion of double-dissociation. The purpose of this essay is to discuss this topic in relation to language disorders, specifically Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia. The hypothesis of double-dissociation within language suggests that the two language aphasias are separable and can occur independently of each other. This hypothesis will be addressed with both archival and more recent journal articles and experimental evidence. Aphasia is defined as a loss or impairment of language function caused by damaged to language and association areas of the brain. There are a number of possible causes including a stroke, tumor, head trauma, toxic conditions, and degenerative disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The two syndromes relevant to this essay are Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia. In France in 1871 Paul Broca’s first patient was a man known as ‘Tan’ because that was the only syllable he was able to utter. Broca found that the patient appeared to have normal language comprehension and could indeed use hand gestures to communicate. Since the patient didn’t show serious cognitive impairment it suggested that damage to a specific brain region could be causing these problems. At autopsy Broca discovered there to be a large lesion in an area of the left frontal lobe, this area is now known “Broca’s area”. Subsequent studies of Broca appeared to show that the center for speech production is localised in Broca’s area in the left prefrontal cortex. The language deficit caused by damage to Broca’s area is now called Broca’s aphasia. Broca’s aphasic’s speech is slow, laboured, halting, and lacking many function words. Speech is “telegraphic” although comprehension is generally good. The fragmented results produced with great effort give rise to the other names for Broca’s aphasia, such as “non-fluent aphasia” or ‘expressive aphasia’. We also know that Broca’s area is responsible for structure, planning and organization of speech, it is located next to the articulation centers on the motor cortex. Broca’s area is responsible for the phonemic representations used for speech production. Since in Broca’s aphasic’s comprehension is good and production is poor then these processes must be considered separable. Subsequent to Broca’s localisation of language production, Karl Wernicke was able to determine the area of the brain responsible for language comprehension (1874). He found that many patients 2005-11-03T14:19:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Broca-vs_-Wernicke-s-Aphasia-a-Double-Dissociation-28080.aspx 1 CHAPTER 3: THREE-DIMENSIONAL POWER PRV, first published as a short book some thirty years ago in the context of an ongoing debate, makes several contentious claims in an extremely brief compass. It offers a definition of the concept of power, claiming both that the concept is ‘essentially contested’ and that the conceptual analysis proposed is superior to those criticized; and it claims to provide a way of analyzing power that goes deeper and is at once value-laden, theoretical and empirical. As indicated, these claims face a series of difficulties and objections (not least that they are mutually incompatible) that many critics have pressed and pursued. In considering these claims, difficulties and objections, the question before us is: what in the foregoing presentation, reproduced as Chapter 1 of this volume, is to be abandoned, what qualified, what defended and what developed further? In this chapter I shall, first, resume what has already been suggested concerning the specificity of power as domination within the wider conceptual field of power in general and defend focusing on power in this sense. Second, I will ask whether it is plausible to think that we can arrive at an uncontested way of understanding it and argue that, because of its links with no less contested notions of freedom, authenticity, autonomy and real interests, it is not. Third, I will defend the claim that power has a third dimension-- securing the consent to domination of willing subjects--against two kinds of objection: that such consent is non-existent or very rare, and that it cannot be secured. Finally, I will argue that conceiving of power in this way cannot dispense with a defensible understanding of the notions of ‘real interests’ and ‘false consciousness.’ The Definition of Power In the first place, as already adumbrated in Chapter 2, the definition of ‘the underlying concept of power’ offered in Section 5 of PRV is, plainly, entirely unsatisfactory in several respects. Following others in the ‘power debate,’ it focuses on the exercise of power, thereby committing the ‘exercise fallacy’: power is a dispositional concept, identifying an ability or capacity, which may or may not be exercised. Secondly, it focuses entirely on the exercise of ‘power over’--the power of some A over some B and B’s condition of dependence on A. Thirdly, it equates such dependence-inducing power with domination, assuming that ‘A affects B in a manner contrary to B’s interests,’ thereby neglecting what we have seen to be the manifold ways in which power over others can be productive, transformative, authoritative and compatible with dignity. Fourthly, assuming that power, thus defined, affects the interests 2005-10-25T19:50:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Three-Dimensional-Power-28070.aspx Insomnia comes in many forms and worries people of all ages, most commonly for just a night or two, but sometimes for weeks, months, and even years. Insomnia has many causes. Insomnia is a symptom, much like fever or stomachache. There three symptoms commonly shown by people who have insomnia: difficulty falling asleep, no problem falling asleep but difficulty staying asleep with many awakenings, and waking up too early. Difficulty sleeping at night may be related with the following daytime symptoms: sleepiness, anxiety, impaired memory, impaired concentration, and irritability. There are three basic types of insomnia. The first type is called transient insomnia -- lasting for up to several nights and is usually caused by excitement or stress. Adults may sleep poorly before a key meeting at work or after a quarrel with his or her partner. Many people sleep worse than usual for the first night or two away from home, particularly if they have traveled across many time zones. Nighttime strong physical movements, the flu or other brief illnesses may disrupt sleep temporarily. The second one is situational insomnia. That is two or three weeks of poor sleep and is often developed during ongoing stress at work or at home. Situations such as job delay, divorced, serious illness or death are primary in this type of insomnia. Relief from the situation that provoked disturbed sleep or accommodation to it usually returns a person to his or her usual sleeping pattern. Chronic insomnia is the third and most serious type of the sleeping problems. This sleeping problem lasts for three weeks or longer with poor sleep every night, most nights, or quite a lot of nights of a month. This is a complex disorder with many possible causes. In more than half of all cases of persistent insomnia the cause appears to be a physical illness, such as disorders of breathing or muscle activity. These figures were derived from a nationwide study of 8,000 patients and conducted by the Association of Sleep Disorders Center. One of the causes of insomnia is the use of stimulants. Even though caffeine near bedtime may not disturb sleep, it may bring awakenings later. Caffeine related components are also found in soft drinks, chocolate, and strong tea. Nicotine is a stimulant and it has been shown that smokers take longer to fall asleep and sleep worse than non-smokers. Ingredients in many commonly used drugs, 2005-09-27T03:34:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sleep-Disorders-Insomnia-28035.aspx Psychology - Pragmatism and Idealism Some say that mankind is complex beyond comprehension. I cannot, of course, speak for every other individual on this earth, but I do not believe that I am a very difficult person to understand. My life is based upon two very simple, sweeping philosophies: pragmatism in actions and idealism in thought. Thus, with these two attitudes, I characterize myself. Pragmatism in actions. I believe utterly in one of those old cliches: we are given only a limited time upon this earth and every moment wasted is lost forever. Therefore, I do not engage in those things that I view as useless. The next question is obvious. What do I view as useless? In reality, perhaps too many things and definitely too many to address in one essay. However, I can indulge in the discussion of a few. Hate is a wasted emotion. Hate accomplishes nothing. It does not relieve hunger. It does not alleviate pain. It creates only avoidable aggression. I do not believe in any kind of hate, including prejudice and racism. My energies and time can be better spent elsewhere. Anger too. What does anger do? Nothing. It frustrates us and aggravates us, and we can avoid it. Being frustrated is not a pleasing experience for me. When I was young, or rather, when I was younger than I am now, I would explode at the smallest disturbances (I'm sorry mom and dad). Now, I have realized that anger is a waste of time, and I no longer have a temper to lose. I would much rather wallow in happiness. And in my happiness, I do not worry much over my image in the eyes of others. The important word here is much, for there are opinions of certain individuals about which I do care a great deal, but these are few. They include my family, my close friends, and those who possess the power to affect my life significantly (for example, university admissions officers). Otherwise, I pay no attention to whispers behind my back or vague rumors circulating in the air above. As long as I know the truth, however harsh it may be, and those that I care about know the truth, I am not troubled. The masses may think as they wish. They are entitled. As can probably be observed from this essay thus far, my outlook on life saves 2005-09-18T05:59:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pragmatism-and-Idealism-Psychology-27991.aspx Life Is Full Of Problems [i:3700b6bdbe]Question: Bob Maynard has said that “Problems are opportunities in disguise.” Write an essay describing a time in your life when a problem became an opportunity. How did you transform the situation? Explain what you did to turn the problem into an opportunity and how others can benefit from your experience. [/i:3700b6bdbe] Life is full of problems, but how we approach those problems often determines whether we’re happy or miserable. Bob Maynard says, “Problems are opportunities in disguise.” If we approach problems with Maynard’s attitude, we see that problems are really opportunities to learn about others and ourselves. They enable us to live happier and more fulfilling lives. Maynard’s quote applies to all kinds of problems. I faced a problem just last week when our family’s kitchen sink developed a serious leak. There was water all over our kitchen floor and piles of dishes to be washed. But our landlord was out of town for the week. I come from a big family-I have six brothers and sisters-so we couldn’t afford to wait until he got back, and my mom couldn’t afford a couple hundred dollars to pay for a plumber on her own. So I took the opportunity to learn how to fix it myself. I went to the library and found a great fix-it-yourself book. In just a few hours, I figured out what was causing the leak and how to stop it. If it weren’t for that problem, I probably would have relied on plumbers and landlords all my life. Now I know I can handle leaky pipes by myself. I think it’s important to remember that no matter how big a problem is; it’s still an opportunity. Whatever kind of situation we face, problems give us the chance to learn and grow, both physically and mentally. For example, when I had a problem with my car and couldn’t the repairs right away, my problem become an opportunity to get some exercise-something I’d been waiting to do anyway. I had to walk a mile each day to get to the bus stop and back. But in the meantime, I got the chance to start getting back in shape, and I saved a lot on gas. I’ve come to realize that problems are really part of what 2005-09-18T05:57:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Life-Is-Full-Of-Problems-27990.aspx If Women Were More Like Men [i:ecb2bec407] “Sugar and Spice and all things nice… that’s what little girls are made of” “Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog’s tails… that’s what little boys are made of”[/i:ecb2bec407] In our society men and women both play very important parts. Even if it may be tempting to believe that girls and boys are the same for a short while after their birth this is not the case. From their first moments girls and boys are raised differently. To put it simply: girls get the dolls and boys the cars. The differences become more apparent the older the children get, especially if they have been brought up according to traditional values. Men and women very often have a completely different attitude in life. Men are said to be less emotional, but more determined, whereas women play the more caring, but also more dependent role in our society. But what would our world be like if women were more like men? Since the beginning of mankind, men have been hunters and women the ones who stay at home, taking care of the children. Even though our society is undergoing tremendous changes, men still hold the top-positions in jobs such as management, marketing, finance or politics and get paid around 1/3 more than women on average. Apart from the traditional reasons for men being more successful there is also the reason that men do everything possible to achieve their goals. Women are far less ruthless and much more sensitive to the feelings of others, so they seem weaker and less determined. Women very often work as teachers, nurses and social-workers, jobs which involve care and emotions and are directly concerned with people, but very often badly paid. If women were more like men they would also try and get the best-paid jobs, without thinking of anyone they may be harming on the path to achieving their goal. There is nothing wrong with being determined and career orientated but it is also important to be sensitive towards other people’s feelings. As most leading politicians are men, men are the ones who start wars. Women would probably have a completely different approach towards conflicts. They would try to deal with problems, by trying to get to the bottom of them instead of just solving current dilemmas. Women would almost certainly take more notice of the civilians being harmed, whilst men block 2005-09-01T04:39:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/If-Women-Were-More-Like-Men-27862.aspx Age Discrimination - Elderly American Society Discrimination against the Elderly American society has been described as maintaining a stereotypic and often negative perception of older adults. This negative and/or stereotypic perception of aging and aged individuals is apparent in such areas as language, media, and humor. For example, such commonly used phrases as over the hill and an old fart denote old age as a period of impotency and incompetence. The term used to describe this stereotypic and often negative bias against older adults is ageism. Ageism can be defined as "any attitude, action, or institutional structure, which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age"(Webster 25). As an ism, ageism reflects a prejudice in society against older adults. The victims of bigotry and prejudice are generally referred to as minorities. This is not because they are necessarily fewer in number, but because they are deprived of the rights and privileges of the majority (the Aged 4). Ageism, however, is different from other isms (sexism, racism etc.), for primarily two reasons. First, age classification is not static. An individual's age classification changes as one progresses through life. Therefore, age classification is characterized by continual change, while the other classification systems traditionally used by society such as race and gender remain constant. From this we can conclude that denial of old age is a principal source of bigotry against those who are old now (the Aged 4). Second, no one is exempt from at some point achieving the status of old. Unless they die at an early age, they will experience ageism. The later is an important distinction as ageism can affect an individual on two levels. First, the individual may be ageist with respect to others. That is they may stereotype other people on the basis of age. Second, the individual may be ageist with respect to self so ageist attitudes may affect the self-concept. “We live in a culture that reveres youth. To be young is to be alive, sexy, and full of energy. To be old is to be "senile," "worthless," and having "one foot in the grave"”(Online 1). This is the attitude most often seen in modern society. In general there are at least nine known major stereotypes that reflect prejudice towards senior citizens. These include illness, impotency, ugliness, mental decline, mental illness, uselessness, 2005-08-29T04:45:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Age-Discrimination-Elderly-American-Society-27820.aspx Intellect Economics - Increasing Returns Introduction Our understanding of how markets and businesses is an understanding based squarely upon the assumption of diminishing returns: products or companies that get ahead in a market eventually run into limitations, so that a predictable equilibrium of prices and market shares is reached. The theory was in rough measure valid for the bulk-processing, smokestack economy of Marshall’s day. And it still thrives in today’s economics textbooks. But steadily and continuously in this century, Western economies have undergone a transformation from bulk-material manufacturing to design and use of technology—from processing of resources to processing of information, from application of raw energy to application of ideas. As this shift has taken place, the underlying mechanisms that determine economic behavior have shifted from ones of diminishing to ones of increasing returns. Increasing returns are the tendency for that which is ahead to get farther ahead, for that which loses advantage to lose further advantage. They are mechanisms of positive feedback that operate—within markets, businesses, and industries—to reinforce that which gains success or aggravate that which suffers loss. Increasing returns generate not equilibrium but instability: If a product or a company or a technology—one of many competing in a market—gets ahead by chance or clever strategy, increasing returns can magnify this advantage, and the product or company or technology can go on to lock in the market. More than causing products to become standards, increasing returns cause businesses to work differently, and they stand many of our notions of how business operates on their head. Mechanisms of increasing returns exist alongside those of diminishing returns in all industries. But roughly peaking, diminishing returns hold sway in the traditional part of the economy—the processing industries. Increasing returns reign in the newer part—the knowledge-based industries. Modern economies have therefore become divided into two interrelated, intertwined parts—two worlds of business—corresponding to the two types of returns. The two worlds have different economics. They differ in behavior, style, and culture. They call for different management techniques, different strategies, different codes of government regulation. They call for different understandings. Alfred Marshall and Classic Economics (Diminishing Returns) In order to understand the term “Increasing Returns”, first we must define “Diminishing Returns” . In Marshall’s world of 1880s and 1890s, there was bulk production which consisted of iron cores,mining,coffee planting, lumber and coal production, mostly depended on resources rather 2005-08-25T06:24:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Intellect-Economics-Increasing-Returns-27771.aspx Development Of Dunstan Ramsey Scientist, psychologist, biologist all pose the question of How the complex human mind develops, Robertson Davies shows the rise, zenith and decent of his character Dunstan Ramsey. The development of Dunstan Ramsey, in Fifth Business, is associated with the psychological rebirth. Jungian psychology identifies this as individuation. Daryl Sharp simply explains individuation in The Jung Lexicon as; “Induced by ritual or stimulated by immediate personal experience, it results in an enlargement of the personality” [Sharp, 4]. In terms of Fifth Business, Diana, Faustina, Mrs. Dempster and Liesl fulfill the role of ‘stimulus’, meanwhile Dunstan Ramsey absorbs this profound knowledge, in his quest to become Fifth Business. The first phase of Jungian Individuation is the biological identity, given by Diana Marfleet. She was a beautiful volunteer nurse were Dunstable was taken during the war, she cared for Dunstable while he was bed ridden. “She had been nursing me… she had also washed me and attended to my bed pan and the urinal” [Davies, 77]. Diana became a mother figure to him, as the relationship grew; Dunstan began to reject her presence. Jung explains “The mother complex… experience of the personal mother, then by significant contact with other women…” [Sharp, 21]“In homosexuality, the son's entire heterosexuality is tied to the mother in an unconscious form; in Don Juanism, he unconsciously seeks his mother in every woman he meets” [Jung, 162]. Don Juanism displays why Dunstan would reject Diana because in his unconscious she represent his mother. Diana represents Eve in mythical terms; she has insightful information but is rejected jus as Adam did. Romantic-biological and emotion outline the second phase of development. Faustina fills this void for Dunstan, she teaches him about his sexual body and unconsciously won over his heart. “But I loved her!… to watch her very rapid changes from Gretchen to Venus… she was almost naked” [Davies, 210]. Dunstan’s lack of sexual experience is accounted for by the negative mother complex; “…either sexuality does not function properly … responded to with impatience and irritation.” [Jung, 170]. In Faustina Dunstan does not find mother like traits, which allows him to open up to her. “Jungian, Passive projection is completely automatic and unintentional event, like falling in love…” [Davies, 3] explains Dunstan’s boyhood crush on Faustina. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is seen as Faustina, “Helen's beauty became legendary. It was obvious to all that the child would 2005-08-18T07:06:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Development-Of-Dunstan-Ramsey-27710.aspx [i:1ca324c1b0]Sociology essay: What constitutes the 'tribulations of the self' in contemporary society, according to Anthony Giddens? Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.[/i:1ca324c1b0] This essay will seek an explanation of what constitutes the 'tribulations of the self' according to Anthony Giddens (1991). In the first part of this paper, I discuss some central ways language has been viewed focusing the review on social constructivist writings as well as those stemming from the study of human development. In the second part of this paper, I discuss data that leads to the reconsideration of aspects of the language - selfhood interface. I conclude by suggesting some future avenues of research. First the essay will outline the various tribulations that Giddens describes in 'Modernity and Self-identity' (1991). A tribulation of the self is a test or trial for the self, that involves some degree of severity. Many of these tribulations that Giddens outlines are to do with the anxieties brought about by different aspects of life and how the individual deals with them. The first tribulation that Giddens examines is the influence of risk and doubt. Feelings of anxiety arise when the individual doubts or takes risks. Such anxieties may be reduced by adhering to a faith or religion. Often these will dictate a certain lifestyle that either reduces doubt and risk or allows the individual to think about them less (Giddens, 1991). This was certainly the case in pre-modernity. Today more anxiety arises with the awareness that there are several possibilities and choices to do with decisions about life. Anxieties caused by risk may be more often caused by the risk calculations than the risks them selves (Giddens, 1991). Risk taking is an important part of life, people take risks every day and some become so much part of a routine that they appear no longer to be a risk. There are certain risks that are beyond our immediate control. Such as 'ecological disaster, nuclear war or the ravaging of humainity by as yet unanticipated scourges' (Giddens, 1991. p 183). Those who spend all their time worrying about such things are not considered normal yet they are sources of anxiety (Giddens, 1991). Among other things there is awarness of high consequence risks and the notion that 'things go wrong' (Giddens, 1991. P182) are going to cause anxiety in every day life. The next tribulation Giddens examines is 'ontological security, anxiety, and the sequestration of experience' 2005-08-16T09:20:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tribulations-of-the-Self-by-Anthony-Giddens-27703.aspx “Broken” Homes: The Effect of Divorce on Children Going through a divorce is a very difficult situation to be in. Usually it is what is happening between the parents, that concerns most people. However hurtful divorce is on the couple that is going through it, the children end up with the greatest amount of problems. These problems that the children develop are not always obvious, and do no always come to the surface right away. “Most often the children responded to the announcement [of the divorce] with apprehensiveness or anger . . . Several children panicked . . . finally, a great many of the younger children, about one-third of the entire group, didn’t really believe what they had been told. For these youngsters, the single announcement by the parents made it easier for them to pretend that the divorce would soon go away and to postpone their own response to the frightening changes in their lives” (Wallerstein 40-41). Children often try to stop the divorce of their parents, but there are many who seem to accept it at first. These who seem to accept it may even tell their parents that they are happy about the divorce. This is not necessarily the case, as one would see if he or she spoke with the child for a while. There are many things that divorce does to a family, and there are many things that is does to the child. These effects are rarely positive, or helpful depending upon the family’s prior situation. Divorce has many negative effects on the psychological, and social aspects of a child’s life. There are many psychological aspects of a child’s life that change when his or her parents go through a divorce. As previously mentioned by the writer, a child may not show initially how he or she feels about the divorce, but the true feelings of that child eventually surface. Joan B. Kelly, in an article for the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says, “children incorporate repertoires of angry, impulsive, and violent behavior into their own behavior as a result of observing their parents’ responses to frustration and rage” (4). This is something that many children that witness the divorce of their parents go through. The child naturally looks to his or her parent or parents 2005-08-16T08:57:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Divorce-on-Children-27695.aspx I DIDN'T DO IT How The Simpsons Affects Kids The Simpsons is one of Americas most popular television shows. It ranks as the number one television program for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even in good taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At the time, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He began working on Life in Hell, a humorous comic strip consisting of people with rabbit ears. The L.A. Reader picked up a copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life in Hell gradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies and college newspapers across the country. It even developed a cult status. (Varhola, 1) Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producer of works such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Terms of Endearment. Brooks originally wanted Groening to make an animated pilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to do so in fear of loosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groening presented Brooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with a blue beehive hairdo, and three obnoxious spiky haired children. Groening intended for them to represent the typical American family "who love each other and drive each other crazy". Groening named the characters after his own family. His parents were named Homer and Margaret and he had two younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bart was an anagram for "brat". Groening chose the last name "Simpson" to sound like the typical American family name. (Varhola, 2) Brooks decided to put the 30 or 60 second animations on between skits on The Tracy Ullman Show on the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (later to star in Herman's Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright did the voice of Bart. Cartwright previously supplied the voices for many cartoons, including Galaxy High, Fantastic Max, Richie Rich, Snorks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends. Tracy Ullman later added Cartwright to her cast. (Dale and Trich, 11) Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, Tracy Ullman's producer, wanted to turn the Simpson family into their own show. The Fox network was looking for 2005-08-15T08:45:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-The-Simpsons-Affects-Kids-27679.aspx Monetary and Fiscal Policy The Monetary and Fiscal Policies, although controlled by two different organizations, are the ways that our economy is kept under control. Both policies have their strengths and weaknesses, some situations favoring use of both policies, but most of the time, only one is necessary. The monetary policy is the act of regulating the money supply by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, currently headed by Alan Greenspan. One of the main responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System is to regulate the money supply so as to keep production, prices, and employment stable. The "Fed" has three tools to manipulate the money supply. They are the reserve requirement, open market operations, and the discount rate. The most powerful tool available is the reserve requirement. The reserve requirement is the percentage of money that the bank is not allowed to loan out. If it is lowered, banks are required to keep less money, and so more money is put out into circulation (theoretically). If it is raised, then banks may have to collect on some loans to meet the new reserve requirement. The tool known as open market operations influences money and credit operations by buying and selling of government securities on the open market. This is used to control overall money supply. If the Fed believes there is not enough money in circulation, then they will buy the securities from member banks. If the Fed believes there is too much money in the economy, they will sell the securities back to the banks. Because it is easier to make gradual changes in the supply of money, open market operations are use more regularly than monetary policy. When member banks want to raise money, they can borrow from Federal Reserve Banks. Just like other loans, there is an interest rate, or a discount rate, the third tool of the monetary policy. If the discount rate is high, then fewer banks will be inclined to borrow, and if it is low, more banks will (theoretically) borrow from the reserve banks. The discount rate is not used as frequently as it was in the past, but it does serve as an indicator to private bankers of the intentions of the Fed to constrict or enlarge the money supply. The monetary policy is a good way to influence the money supply, but it does have its weaknesses. One weakness is that tight money policy works 2005-08-15T08:42:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-Monetary-and-Fiscal-Policy-27676.aspx Effects of Television Violence on Children This literature review is based on the effects of television violence on children. More specifically, it deals with the relationship found between television violence and aggression found in young children. I chose this topic because I found it interesting to learn that studies have indeed found a connection between television viewing and the behavior of people, especially children. The first study reviewed is entitled "Television Violence and Children's Aggression: Testing the Priming. Social script, and Disinhibition Predictions," by Wendy Josephson. Josephson begins her study by commenting on other studies which pertain to the idea of television violence leading to aggressiveness in children's behavior. She acknowledges that, in fact, there are still differing views over whether or not behavior is affected by the violence. However, Josephson tends to rely more on the idea that it is affected and feels that more research should be directed to this area. Mostly, attention is focused on factors such as the disinhibition effect and cue-triggered aggression. Josephson aims to differentiate these two areas and how they are affected by television violence. The overall purpose of her study is to research the effect this violence has on boys' aggression. Special emphasis is placed on factors such as teacher-rated characteristic aggressiveness in the boys, timing of frustration (before or after watching the televised violence, and violence related cues. Josephson's study is detailed and technical. However, sometimes it gets very difficult to understand the study due to the many advanced, technical terms used. The purpose of the study is somewhat easy to determine, and the three hypotheses on which she bases her research on are outlined clearly in the end of the review. It is understandable, from the review, how she came to her hypotheses. The second study reviewed is by Leonard D. Eron. Titled "Interventions to Mitigate the Psychological Effects of Media Violence on Aggressive Behavior," it begins with Eron's realization that although many studies were conducted which support the link between violence on television and aggressive behavior, very few studies have been conducted which attempt to intervene between the two. Interventions between television violence and aggression could be useful because, then studies could be conducted on reducing the effects of violence on the viewer. Also, the results of such a study could be helpful in researching the cause and effect relationship which may exist between the two. However, this would require that the interventions pertain exclusively 2005-08-15T08:41:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Television-Violence-on-Children-27675.aspx Keynesian Economics versus Supply Side Economics Two controversial economic policies are Keynesian economics and Supply Side economics. They represent opposite sides of the economic policy spectrum and were introduced at opposite ends of the 20th century, yet still are the most famous for their effects on the economy of the United States when they were used. The founder of Keynesian economic theory was John Maynard Keynes. He made many great accomplishments during his time and probably his greatest was what he did for America in its hour of need. During the 1920's, the U.S. experienced a stock market crash of enormous proportions which crippled the economy for years. Keynes knew that to recover as soon as possible, the government had to intervene and put a decrease on taxes along with an increase in spending. By putting more money into the economy and allowing more Americans to keep what they earned, the economy soon recovered and once again became prosperous. Keynes ideas were very radical at the time, and Keynes was called a socialist in disguise. Keynes was not a socialist, he just wanted to make sure that the people had enough money to invest and help the economy along. As far as stressing extremes, Keynesian economics pushed for a "happy medium" where output and prices are constant, and there is no surplus in supply, but also no deficit. Supply Side economics emphasized the supply of goods and services. Supply Side economics supports higher taxes and less government spending to help economy. Unfortunately, the Supply Side theory was applied in excess during a period in which it was not completely necessary. The Supply Side theory, also known as Reganomics, was initiated during the Regan administration. During the 1970's, the state and local governments increased sales and excise taxes. These taxes were passed from business to business and finally to the customer, resulting in higher prices. Along with raised taxes for the middle and lower classes, this effect was compounded because there was little incentive to work if even more was going to be taxed. People were also reluctant to put money into savings accounts or stocks because the interest dividends were highly taxed. There was also too much protection of business by the government which was inefficient and this also ran up costs, and one thing the Supply Side theory was quite good at was reinforcing inflation. The two opposites of the Supply Side and Keynes' 2005-08-15T08:40:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Keynesian-Economics-vs_-Supply-Side-Economics-27673.aspx The Effects on Children When Both Parents are Employed, Socio-economic Conditions Socio-economic conditions in North America have contributed to the need for dual incomes for families. Economically, "the number of two parent families below the poverty line would increase to an estimated 78% if they were to become single income families." (Ontario Women's Directorate 9) Socially, it was the norm, in the past, for women to stay at home having a more expressive role in the family; taking care of the children and providing emotional support for the family. Presently, women feel that their traditional roles as child bearers and homemakers must be supplemented with a sense of achievement outside the home. Recent studies reflect an increased trend towards the dual income family and projections are for this trend to continue. In 1961, 30% of married women were working; in 1978, 38% were employed; by 1981 50% were working and in 1985, 55% held paying positions outside the home. (Jarman and Howlett 95) In 1961, only 20% of all two parent families were dual wage families, but by 1986, more than half (53%) of all families were dual earning families. (Ramu 26) In light of the fact that the majority of two parent families in the 1990's have also become dual wage earning families, it is important to examine the effects of such a phenomenon on society in general and on child rearing in particular. Children acquire their goals, values and norms based on the way that they view or identify with their parents as well as from the quality and amount of care, love and guidance given to them by their parents. Parents who work present a different image to their children than parents who do not work. In addition, wage earners, including parents, must (in most cases), be absent from the home during the day. When considering these modifications to the family dynamics, there is considerable basis for proof that the positive effects outweigh the negative effects experienced by offspring in families were both parents are employed. The working parent occupies an important exemplary role within the family. Working parents often command considerable respect from their children, because they demonstrate the worthy characteristics of industriousness, social compatibility, self reliance, maturity, intelligence and responsibility. Because children identify with their parents, the feedback from such positive influences tends to be positive as well because many of these positive characteristics are imparted upon 2005-08-15T08:39:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-on-Children-When-Both-Parents-are-Employed-27672.aspx According To Social Psychologists, How Do Victim, Offender And Third-party Interactions Impact Upon Criminal Outcomes? During the late 1940s, Sutherland (1947) advanced that explanations of crime and deviance are of either a situational or a dispositional nature. Additionally, he argued that of the two explanations, situational ones might be of the most importance. Hirschi & Gottfredson (1986) made a critical distinction in light of this issue, the distinction was between the terms crime and criminality. Crime, they proposed refers to ‘events that presuppose a set of necessary conditions’. Criminality on the other hand refers to ‘stable differences across individuals in the propensity to commit criminal acts’ (Hirschi & Gottfredson, 1986: 58). They went on to point out that criminality is necessary, but is not a sufficient condition for crime to occur, since crime requires important situational inducements. Despite these propositions, social psychologists in the following decades tended to focus on dispositional theories of crime and deviance, that is, focusing on individual differences. There is a wealth of literature focusing on motivations and characteristics of criminal offenders (e.g. Cohen, 1955,as cited in Birkbeck & LaFree, 1993; Cloward & Ohlin, 1960), and a modest amount attending to the victims of crime (Cohen, Kleugel, & Land, 1981). However the suggestion is well documented (e.g. Hepburn, 1973; Athens, 1985; Luckenbill, 1977) that there is a need for research to focus on the sequential development and interactional dynamics of criminally violent situations. This is based on the notion that violence is, at least in part, situationally determined (Felson & Steadman, 1983). Symbolic interactionism is such a guiding approach in this field, so it is important to clarify what sets it apart from others in the area; there are two main important such points. Firstly , social interactionist theory focuses on the objective fact of situations (as overlooked by criminologists), and secondly their subjective definition by actors (as overlooked by both opportunity and experimental psychologists). It was Goffman (1967) who set the ball rolling as it were for symbolic interactionism. He uniquely emphasized the nature of the violent criminal act as important, instead of just the criminal actor. It was his notion of a ‘character contest’ that inadvertently proposed one of the first violent criminal behaviour theories of its kind. An individual 2005-08-13T05:42:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sociology-Behind-Factors-that-Influence-Criminal-Outcomes-27603.aspx Analysis On Conformity Conformity is an essential part of every culture. It’s basic a likeness and understanding that can draw people together. A culture who has citizens who conform will be stronger. The regularity brings power, and stability. Because if all men are equal, then those who are together will become stronger than those alone. Conformity can be small things as simple as speaking the lands native language, or it can require more like following the laws and paying the taxes. It can even mean following a religious deity or having an arranged marriage. It’s just allowing yourself to be a part of the norm. There is truth in the statement “united we stand, divided we fall”. Conformity is a necessary tool of all real progression. People die, and things are lost. That’s why cultures matter. Cultures have existed longer than any man can remember, and effected many. If an idea, or invention or anything else is good or substantial, it can be passed on through a culture. Cultures make it possible for the thoughts and actions of man to withstand mortality, more substantially. So by adhering to a norm or a law, you can accept the knowledge of others. By accepting and participating in a culture, you mix the ideals of others with your own, for better or worse. It’s creates a never ending cycle of the growing wisdom of more than one man. By conforming, it means that mankind isn’t damned to repeat itself eternally, because every man only works for himself. Our collective forms our culture, which changes with everything we do. We can grow and become greater, rather than simply existing. For as long as I can remember, I’ve gone to school. School is a tool of learning, and conformity. It prepares me to go out, and work for my government. My knowledge and skill will most likely benefit my culture, which will benefit others. All children are required to go to school. This regularity of knowledge makes America stronger. It makes me stronger, and it makes everyone around me stronger. I’ve been taught to get a job, to get decent grades, and to respect others. All cultural norms. Everyone contributes to society, though their actions. The more educated people become, the richer their contributions to society become, and the faster society will be able to change. The more educated 2005-08-13T05:37:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-On-Conformity-27602.aspx Childhood Development Essay Childhood is the culturally defined period in human development between infancy and adulthood. In a historical perspective, this is a relatively new social construction. Early childhood, as an especially important “superperiod” of childhood, most often refers to the months and years between infancy and school age children (Corsini 345). To understand why childhood is such a crucial time in human life it is important to study the development before and after birth along with any factors that may alter life in between. Heredity is the transmission of characteristics for parents to offspring through genes. Genes are information carriers. There are two types of genes, dominant and recessive. Dominant genes will emerge each time they are present. A recessive gene will only appear when paired with another recessive gene (Coon 88-89). These genes make each person unique. They determine what color hair and eyes you will have, your body type, and possible even your personality. A problem can take place in any pregnancy. Such problems can be caused by fate or by fault. Genetic problems are cause by a natural defect in the genes, which are inherited by the offspring’s parents (Coon 88-93). These defects can result in a number of diseases. Cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle-cell anemia are examples of this type of abnormalities (Shelov 522-523). It can be said that genetics is all a roll of the dice. Fortunately, through modern science, many of these defects can be diagnosed through prenatal testing. The invention and use of the ultrasound has made obstetrics a more precise science pregnancy a much less worrisome experience. In fact, ultrasounds have become so common that they are now used in ninety percent of pregnancies today. It is so common because it allows visualization of the fetus without the hazards of x-ray. Ultrasound works through the use of sound waves. Sound waves are bounced off internal structures and can be viewed with a TV-like viewing screen. The second most common test is maternal blood screening. This test is used to determine whether an amniocentesis is needed. During an amniocentesis amniotic fluid that surrounds a fetus is extracted and examined. Because amniotic fluid contains fetal cells, chemicals, and microorganisms it provides a wide range of information- genetic makeup, present condition, and the level of maturity of the growing baby (Eisenberg, Murkoff, and Hathaway, What to Expect When Your Expecting 44-51). There are many 2005-08-02T06:07:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Childhood-Development-Essay-27519.aspx Marginal Benefit / Cost and Scarcity Paper Define the concept of scarcity: Scarcity: The goods available are too few to satisfy individuals' desires. Scarcity is a central concept in economics. Resources are scarce if any individual would prefer to have more of that good or service than they already have. Most goods and services are scarce - those that are not are known as free goods. Where goods are scarce it is necessary for society to make choices as to how they are allocated and used. Economists study (among other things) how societies perform the optimal allocation of these resources. For example, we may all want to own gold jewelry. However, the amount of gold available is limited, so it is necessary to make choices as to how it is allocated. In a market economy, this is achieved by trade. Individuals trade resources between themselves to reallocate resources to where they are most wanted. In a smoothly operating market system, the rate of exchange between different resources or price will adjust so that demand is equal to supply. One of the roles of the economist is to discover the relationship between demand and supply and develop mechanisms (such as pricing, incentives, or penalties) to achieve an optimal outcome (in terms of consumer welfare) between supply and demand. "Substantives" economists and economic anthropologists have argued that "scarcity" is a social construct and not a universal. Certain intangible goods are likely to remain scarce by definition or by design; examples include awards generated by honors systems, fame, and membership of elites. These things are said to have scarcity value; that is to say, all or most of their value is derived from their scarcity. Define the concepts of marginal benefit / marginal cost. What is the relationship between marginal benefit / cost and scarcity? Marginal benefit is the benefit a person receives from consuming one more unit of a good or service. It is measured as the maximum amount that a person is willing to pay for one more unit of the good or service. Examples: Suppose that you see three movies a week. The maximum amount that you are willing to pay to see the first movie is $10, to see the second movie is $8, and to see the third movie is $6. The marginal benefit of the first movie is $10, of the second movie is $8, and of the third 2005-08-01T07:45:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Marginal-Benefit-Cost-and-Scarcity-Paper-27511.aspx Macroeconomic Theory as it Relates to the Oil Crisis Essay Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole, which includes inflation, unemployment, business cycles, and growth (Colander, 14). In today's society, Americans rely on having the option to have multiple service providers for their home or office. Several businesses especially those who work nationally or internationally with other businesses, try to find the inexpensive and new innovative ways to reduce cost. In take of the Recent Oil Crisis - Oil is the major source of energy worldwide and it is expected to remain so over the next few decades. As new technology is being developed our demand for oil is becoming crucial, oil is the major source of energy worldwide and it is expected to remain so over the next few decades. Crude oil has become the main "raw" material in every economy no matter if it has not developed or it is in the developing process. The changes in the prices of the crude oil are making positive and negative implications on every economy. When these changes of prices are severe ones, one might easily conclude that an economy is going to face problems such as unfavorable supply shocks, or according to the theory adverse supply shocks. When these kinds of problem arise in the world oil market, it is usually described as a world oil crisis. The world has witnessed two major oil crises and is facing an additional one at the moment. As in the two previous oil shocks in the world the same main problem still exists that the economy is faced during an oil crisis is the adverse supply shock. Adverse supply shocks are unexpected events that reduce aggregate supply and therefore the output decreases and prices increase. In the language of economy we call this stagflation. Furthermore, I will refer to the organization that has caused the three supply shocks so far. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC) has the power to control the world oil prices by its reduction in the world oil supply. This is what caused the oil crisis in the early 70's (Mankiw 252). OPEC's reduction in the supply of oil had doubled the world oil price instantly which caused stagflation with all oil importing country. In addition I will refer to the US statistic about the oil crisis that took place in the early 70's. In the year of 2005-08-01T07:44:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Macroeconomic-Theory-Oil-Crisis-Essay-27510.aspx Economic Indicators used to project economic policy When one speaks of the economy they should speak of it as if it were an animate object. An economy may healthy, productive or efficient. Likewise, an economy may be weak, slow or inefficient. The question is how do we know how to classify our economy? GNP -GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT. Economists have devised numerous statistics designed to ascertain the overall health of our economy. Historically, the most quoted measure of economic activity is what is called Gross National Product (GNP). The Gross National Product (GNP) is a nation's total output of goods and services produced BY a country in one year. In obtaining the value of the GNP, only the final value of a product is counted (e.g. homes but not the construction materials they were built with). The three major components of GNP are consumer purchases, government spending, private investment and exports. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the monetary value of all goods and services performed in a nation in one year. GDP measures the economic strength of a nation. It is computed by multiplying the quantity of all goods and services by its price. When this is done for all three categories, Consumer spending, Government Spending and Investments, the results are added to give us the GDP. In the last several years GDP has gained favor as a more accurate barometer of the state of the economy. With growing globalization our economy is increasingly reliant on goods we produce beyond our national borders. While GNP does not calculate this, GDP does. Though the GDP and GNP are the most widely used system of determining a nation's economic performance, they are certainly not perfect. There are certain factors within the economy that keep the GDP and GNP from being the most reliable measurements. The first factors are reporting delays. Because the reporting process on a nation's monetary flow is so difficult to document, GDP estimates are made quarterly. The figures are then revised for months after that, so it takes a while to discover how the economy actually performed. Thus there is a disparity between the actual GDP and the reported GDP. The second factor is the composition of output. Generally, increases in the GDP insinuate that people had jobs and earned an income. However, the GDP alone does not tell the composition of the output. An increase in a certain amount of dollars may 2005-08-01T07:43:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Indicators-Used-to-Project-Economic-Policy-27509.aspx What is monetary policy? Essay on Monetary Policy Monetary policy is one of the tools that a national Government uses to influence its economy. Using its monetary authority to control the supply and availability of money, a government attempts to influence the overall level of economic activity in line with its political objectives. Usually this goal is "macroeconomic stability" - low unemployment, low inflation, economic growth, and a balance of external payments. Monetary policy is usually administered by a Government appointed "Central Bank", the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve Bank in the United States. According to the Encarta the definition of monetary policy is the following economic principles and programs adopted by a government that manage the growth of its money supply, the availability of credit, and interest rates. In the United States, the Federal Reserve Board determines monetary policy. The U.S. monetary policy affects many financial decisions for people and, since it is the biggest economy in the world, it also impacts other economies in other countries. The object of the system is to influence factors like inflation, economic output, and employment by affecting demand (the public's willingness to spend on goods and services). The system is conducted by the Federal Reserve System and it influences demand mainly by raising and lowering short-term interest rates. How is the Federal Reserve Structured? The Federal Reserve (the nation's central bank), called the fed for short, was established by congress in 1913 and consists of the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., and twelve Federal Reserve District Banks. Although the fed is accountable to congress and structured by law, it is totally separate from the departments that manage the country's spending decisions. The governors are appointed by the president for terms of 14 years. The appointments are staggered so no one single president could load the board with his own people. Each reserve president is appointed every five years by the Board of Directors. Along with these measures, the fed is independent because it meets its operating expenses primarily from interest earnings on its portfolio of securities. Although the system works independently from congress, it still conforms to laws and comes under review and audit from the government. Fed officials report regularly to congress and meet with administration officials to discuss their programs. Also, eight times a year the Board of Governors, the President of The Bank of New York, and four 2005-08-01T07:42:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Monetary-Policy-Explanation-27508.aspx Tourette's Syndrome Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an inherited, neurological disorder characterized by repeated and involuntary body movements and uncontrollable vocal sounds. In a minority of cases, the vocalizations can include socially inappropriate words and phrases. These outbursts are neither intentional nor purposeful. Involuntary symptoms can include eye blinking, repeated throat clearing or sniffing, arm thrusting, kicking, shoulder shrugging or jumping. These, and other symptoms, typically appear before the age of 18 and the condition occurs in all ethnic groups with males affected three to four times more often than females. Although symptoms of TS vary from person to person and range from moderate to severe, the majority of cases fall into the mild category. Associated conditions can include attention problems, impulsiveness, and learning disabilities. However, most people with TS lead productive lives and participate in all professions. Increased public understanding and tolerance of TS symptoms are of paramount importance to people with this still mysterious disorder. Discovery: Tourette Syndrome is also known as Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome after the neurologist who described the disorder in 1885. Until the end of the nineteenth century, movement disorders, referred to as motor incoordinations, were diagnosed as chorea, a Greek word meaning dance. In 1825, the first description of a patient with TouretteÕs disorder appeared in a paper by Itard, who described a French woman who displayed not only involuntary tics, but also obscene vocalizations. Since the age of seven, she suffered from involuntary compulsive spasms in her arms and hands. Progressively, her symptoms grew worse. At the time, Itard could only explain the illness as an "idiopathic irritation of the brain". Gilles de la Tourette proposed that the symptoms observed in nine patients, six of whom were his own, constituted a new disease category, which should be separated from chorea. He called the illness a "nervous affliction characterized by generalized motor incoordination and noises," accompanied by vocal outbursts. Gilles de la Tourette was the first physician to identify the unique development of this odd disorder. Motor symptoms are the first to appear, most frequently of the face, specifically eye blinking, and spreading to the upper limbs. As the disorder progresses, symptoms become verbal, including incoherent cries. Echolalia, repetition of oneÕs own words, follows and was considered by Gilles de la Tourette to 2005-07-26T05:54:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tourette-s-Syndrome-27387.aspx Psychological effects of Zimbardo Prison Experiment Description of the study The prison experiment carried out was a simulation study of the psychological imprisonment conducted at Stanford University. In the summer of 1971 Dr Zimbardo set out to find the answers to the following posed questions. “What happens when you put good people in an evil place?” “Does humanity win over evil or does evil triumph?” The planned two week experiment, hand to be brought to a halt in barely six days, because of how the students behaved of who participated. In a matter of a couple of days, the guards became sadistic and the prisoners became very stressed. This shocking study about social psychology reveals the hidden truth about the nature of human nature. Volunteers for this experiment were chosen via a newspaper, asking for people to take part in a study of the psychological effects of prison life. The experiment was aimed in finding out what the psychological effects were of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. Setting up a simulated prison and noting the behavior of those inside created this. Finally 24 college students were chosen from over 70 applicants. They were from the Stanford area and wanted to earn $15 per day by participating in a study. The 24 white, males were all normal, healthy middleclass students. They were put into 2 groups by flipping a coin, and then randomly decided one group would be the guards and the other group would be prisoners. Zimbardo and other researchers called upon help of others to simulate a prison environment close to a real one. Their prison was constructed in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford. Prison cells were created by taking off doors and replacing them with steel bars and cell numbers. “The Hole” was created to become solitary confinement. This was dark and very cramped. The prisoners were blindfolded and in shock when brought in to “Stanford County Jail”. They were greeted by a warden who explained the seriousness of their offence. Each prisoner was searched and stripped. They were once again kept blindfolded at all times and deloused with spray in supposedly believing that he may have germs or lice. Many of the procedures carried out by the prison guards as a form of humiliation were very similar to methods undertaken in real life prisons, many in the past and some from prisons of today. The prisoners were 2005-07-26T05:47:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-effects-of-Zimbardo-Prison-Experiment-27386.aspx Multiculturalism In Canada’s Language Arts Classrooms Respect, equality, and diversity are three words that represent how multiculturalism describes Canada. When respect, equality and diversity exist together as a balanced trio, all Canadian students will benefit from the positive society that continues to emerge. Multiculturalism speaks of Canada’s many cultural influences and different ways of living. Canada has always been multicultural, beginning with the cultural diversity of the First Nations, and then accepting peoples of English, French, Irish and Scottish ancestry, etc. This process continues to this day, and Canada is always improving as a nation with the addition of more cultures from around the world. Canada introduced official multiculturalism with the passage in 1947 of the Canadian Citizenship Act. For the first time, people born in Canada were given the status of Canadian citizens rather than British subjects. Since then, multiculturalism has developed from an initial description of the population to being central to the way we define ourselves (Department of Canadian Heritage, 1998, p.8). In 1971, the federal government recognized multiculturalism as a central characteristic of Canadian society through the adoption of a formal Multiculturalism Policy. The policy encourages a vision of Canada based on the values of equality and mutual respect with consideration of race, national or ethnic organ, colour and religion. In 1998, the multiculturalism policy became law when Parliament passed Canadian Multiculturalism Act (Department of Canadian Heritage, 2nd ed, 1998, forward). Multiculturalism upholds such values as freedom and democracy. Canada is known around the world as a country that respects democratic rights and cultural diversity. Since the adoption of the Multiculturalism Policy, Canada has done a better job of integrating newcomers into its society than most other countries. This is an accomplishment that we should all be proud of (Department of Canadian Heritage, 1998, p. 8). [i:519e63f422]Facts About our Diversity[/i:519e63f422] One of Canada’s strongest assets is our cultural diversity. According to the 1991 Census, 27% of Canada’s population reported origins other than British, French, or Aboriginal. As well, 12% of Canada’s population reported they had at least one other origin. The population of Canada is likely to become even more diverse in coming years. By the year 3006 43% of all Canadian will have at least one origin other than French, British, or Aboriginal (Department of Canadian Heritage, 1998, p. 9). [i:519e63f422] Multicultural Education in The Classroom[/i:519e63f422] Every school and every classroom in this country can be a 2005-07-26T04:58:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Multiculturalism-In-Canada’s-Language-Arts-Classrooms-27382.aspx What do you see as the main reasons for the present economic slowdown in the US? For the last ten years the US economy has experienced an extraordinary long boom and the “Goldilocks economy” seemed to last forever. But the economic situation in the US has changed. Share prices plummeted, consumers are becoming more and more pessimistic about the economic outlook and the chances of a prolonged downturn and a full – fledged recession are rising. For many investors and Americans it was a rude awakening. Now they wonder what caused the economic slowdown and what are the main reasons for the present economic downturn in the US. If we take look at the bible, there is written down that seven years of plenty were followed by seven years of lean. That means that what goes up must come down; that is the law of the business cycle. For the last 50 years, the previous recessions have been triggered off by a familiar process. First there were several years of expansion, then the consumer price inflation built up and as a consequence the Fed raised interest rates what squeezed demand. Then the companies had to cut production and the economy slowed down and sometimes even moved into a recession. But this time it is different. This business cycle is different from those throughout the post-war era. This time the economy did not slow down because of price inflation and the Fed did not force interest rates much higher. The economy weakened so dramatically because companies quickly cut production and employment as disappointing sales led to an involuntary inventory accumulation. The high inventory built-up resulted from a drop in consumer spending. This could be explained by the consumer fatigue. During the long boom nearly everybody bought the new high – tech equipment, computers and DVDs, and now the market is saturated. The computer industry has not convinced consumers that the new computers do much that their PCs at home cannot. As a consequence, companies had to cut production to reduce their high inventories and therefore many workers were made redundant and this led to a further decline in consumer spending. Profit warnings from companies, especially in the high – tech sector, were the main reason why many stocks nosedived. The tech – laden NASDAQ was hit hardest and plunged about 60% since its peak in 2000. As so many Americans own stocks in times of the 2005-07-25T07:05:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Slowdown--27377.aspx Women And The Law Through out the years there have been many factors that affect the operation of the legal system to help generate just outcomes for women. Historically, women have always held an inferior place to men, but during the 20th century this concept has changed considerably. The status of women has changed in terms of political suffrage, jury duty, economic rights, property rights, social security and minority groups. However, women still suffer disadvantages and to try to resolve particular problems women still confront legal and non-legal mechanisms. The mechanisms are used to resolve political and economic equality in accessing education, training development, gaining promotion, equal pay and sexual harassment. The legal and non-legal mechanism include trade unions, lobby groups, welfare groups and government agencies. Affirmative action and anti-discrimination legislation are also used to try to eliminate women being discriminated against and ensure just outcomes for the individual. Women’s status under Australian law has changed considerably. Traditionally women have been child careers and homemakers with little activity or influence in public matters. Women are still often cast into these roles, although they now have far greater freedom to adopt other roles, such as working for an income. In the current workplace women face many challenges and problems. In terms of legal protection women have been offered more opportunities for success that previously, but the attitudes of some parts of society still act to constrain women in the workplace. There have been several responses regarding the problems that women have faced in the workplace. The legal response has been to create laws that seek to protect women by making certain action illegal and requiring that employers behave in certain ways. Non-legal responses include trade unions education, training schemes and the training guarantee. However the extent the effectiveness of the non-legal and legal mechanisms have to generate just outcomes, has not yet fully been utilised. The workplace is still dominated by gender bias. The human rights and equal opportunity commission (HREOC) defines it as ‘the belief that there exist unwritten language in the law which favours males over females’. It suggests that the law has been created by males and to a large degree excludes women and their experiences. In doing so the legal system does not adequately deal with the needs of women because it does not understand them. Sexual discrimination is another concern for women. It is defined by the HREOC as ‘being 2005-07-25T07:03:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-And-The-Law--27376.aspx Educational History Of Non-western Cultures Education is a common practice throughout the world that is the basis for a child’s upbringing. Different cultures teach their children education in many different ways that respond to their respected traditions. We are going to look at the education practices of three different cultures compared to that of the one that I experienced here in the United States. The education practices we will be talking about are the African education, the Aztec education, and the indigenous education. Africa is a large continent consisting of many countries and thousands of different cultures. Although there are many cultures, the educational experience is somewhat the same. The African educational experience is more of a natural process where a child gradually acquires skill and knowledge over time through oral traditions and life experiences. A traditional African education is divided into seven goals. These goals are “to develop a children’s latent physical skills; to develop character; to inculcate respect for elders and those in position of authority; to develop intellectual skills; to acquire specific vocational training and a healthy attitude towards honest labor; to develop a sense of belonging and to participate actively in family and community affairs; and to understand, appreciate, and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large.” Individuals that complete these goals will be looked at as adults that are respected and honest. This type of schooling is more of a life school than a traditional school that I attended when I was young. In the African experience, people learned all the time. There was no certain time that a child would attend a certain school and stay there for the day learning about history or math. Instead, every adult in the community was looked at as a teacher that could have some important lesson that could be shared with a child. The most influential teachers in a child’s life were their parents. Children would play games that imitated the adults as if they were playing “grown up.” In Africa it was difficult to distinguish between learning and playing when observing a child. As I mentioned before, oral tradition played a major role in the African educational experience. Children would be taught using proverbs, riddles, word games, or arithmetic puzzles. When playing word games, children would quiz each 2005-07-25T06:36:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Educational-History-Of-Non-Western-Cultures-27369.aspx Disproving Herrnstein and Murray's Bell CurveHerrnstien and Murray raises the point that the division between the well-paid elite and the lower class Americans are becoming widely divided. Upon raising this point they came up with the Bell Curve. The Bell Curve has two main components that correlate with income, the AFQT test (which measures intelligence), and parental SES (social economic Status). To Herrnstein and Murray, intelligence heavily correlates with income. They argue that that IQ is real and it does matter; in other words the smart people (or people with higher IQ) will get high-quality jobs, hence making their incomes higher. They feel that inequality is, “natural and fated.” To prove their point that IQ does matter and the smart people just keep getting smarter and dumb keep getting dumber they analyzed the National Longitudinal Survey Of Youth (NLSY). Herrnstein and Murray show that the NLSY subjects who scored high on the Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT, which Herrnstein and Murray treated as an IQ test) were doing well versus those who had scored on the low end ended up doing poorly. But the AFQT does not measure natural intelligence. Another component of the bell curve is a person’s SES (social economic status) social factors like race, age, gender, community, environment, and parent’s social economic status contributes to how well a person is able to succeed. To Herrnstein and Murray SES is not a stronger predictive validity than the AFQT, but it goes hand in hand with each other. They are basically trying to say that riches are usually inherited from one generation to another. For example, a well-endowed family has the money to send their child to a prestigious school, where a highly stressed learning atmosphere surrounds their child. Also coming from a well-endowed family, one can network with other elite people who may own big corporations. On the other hand, a child coming from a low-income household may not be able to attend a prestigious school then they loose out on the learning atmosphere and they do not get the opportunity to network with other elite people. Hence that is why the children of elite parents are less likely to end up poor. Herrnstein and Murray’s Bell Curve is completely inaccurate and it is false. First of all, you cannot base 2005-07-25T06:19:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Disproving-Herrnstein-and-Murray-s-Bell-Curve-27366.aspx Alan Greenspan's Impact on the Economy Alan Greenspan has transformed his role from a dictator of Economic Advisors to a participative leader of the Federal Reserve. Integrity, transformational leadership, and CII Leadership style demonstrate his leadership. These factors among others helped him to achieve the role of being one of the most powerful men in America, Federal Reserve Chairman. In the process of becoming chairman, Greenspan has become one of the most influential leaders in the world. Traits that show this influence are his integrity, intelligence, and self-confidence. Perhaps his most important characteristic, Greenspan’s integrity has pushed him to become the leader he is today. An example of this came in 1974 when he refused to take the job of Chairman of Economic Advisors. Greenspan was convinced that he could not make it in government because he did not always agree with policy. Greenspan later chose to accept the position after he realized that he could make a difference and bring truth to the government. Had it not been for his integrity, Greenspan would have declined to take the position. See Passage 1. After becoming Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, he also demonstrated his integrity by discussing problems without regard for policy or the conventional way of thinking. For example, he spoke up against the Nixon administration for over estimating the GNP in 1971. Eventually the budget was proved to be inflated as Greenspan had predicted. He also criticized the president’s wage and price controls because he believed that it would have had a negative effect on the American people. Greenspan’s relentless pursuit for truth and the well being of the American people has characterized his integrity and leadership. Despite his great leadership traits, Alan Greenspan has become known for his transformational leadership. As Federal Reserve Chairman, he is outspoken and courageous with his opinions. His ability to deal with complexity and uncertainty is trademark of his transformational leadership style and intelligence. As Greenspan progressed, he was able to apply his leadership and intellectual ability to the real world. An example of this came in 1975 when New York City faced bankruptcy. See Passage 2. Greenspan devised a solution for this complex problem in way that bailed out the city and still earned interest from borrowers. Furthermore, he continues to learn from this experience and others like it to further develop himself as a decision maker. This is necessary because 2005-07-24T04:53:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alan-Greenspan-s-Impact-on-the-Economy-27358.aspx The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation Towards Depression "It's bedtime, Honey." We have all heard that horrid phrase when we were little. We tried every excuse in the book to stay awake. As we grew older, though, we realized that we need sleep to live normal lives. Sleep is essential to life. According to Colliers Encyclopedia sleep is, "a state of suspended sensory and motor activity known to occur periodically in humans and other warm-blooded animals"(78). If you don't get enough rest you can experience something called sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can have many negative outcomes. Some of these outcomes of sleeping only a few hours a night are lessening of your attention span, irritability, and fatigue. We know sleep deprivation is not good for our health but could it have positive outcomes? Everybody needs sleep; it is the one thing in the world that is universal to everyone. As Sleep is common aspect to life, sleep deprivation is becoming more prevalent in today's society. Why wouldn't it be more common since stress is more abundant and the environment runs at a faster pace than it did fifty years ago? Just think of how many people have sleep disorders like insomnia (a disorder in which you can't sleep), sleep apnea (a disorder in which you stop breathing momentarily during sleep), or even narcolepsy (a disorder where a person can fall asleep at any moment). Sleep is the key to preventing these disorders. If you deprive a normal human being of sleep what happens? According to The Psychology of Sleep, "the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation are well known: a loss of efficiency in mental and physical functioning, irritability, and tendencies toward perceptual distortion and ideational confusion"(Foulkes 10). Sleep deprivation could end up in serious health problems; therefore it is recommended that a person get their required sleep each night. Britannica encyclopedia suggests, "that an adolescent get six to nine hours of sleep a night"(876). If you have ever been in college you know what an all-nighter is. However, this is not the most brilliant idea, unless you want to be depressed, irritable, and grouchy the next day. What if sleep deprivation could actually help some people? Depriving people who are severely depressed of sleep could actually lessen their depression. When you think of depression, you think about people who hide from the world and cry. Lets say you are a very depressed person on 2005-07-10T05:02:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-Of-Sleep-Deprivation-Towards-Depression-27279.aspx Various Psychology Disorders and Related Theories Anxiety Disorder Psychoanalysts believe that anxiety disorders are caused by internal mental conflicts often involving sexual impulses. These impulses cause an overuse of the ego's defense system that fails over time. This shows that the unacceptable impulses the ego has blocked are the generalized anxiety disorders. These blocked impulses cause an unconscious state of apprehension for which the person does not know the cause of. Phobias, however, occur if the person sets the cause of the anxiety to a certain object, or situation, which they can more easily avoid than the actual source of anxiety. Panic disorders and agoraphobia are caused by separation anxiety, mainly separation from parents, early in life. This happens in children who were taught to intervene in separation from a parenting figure by throwing tantrums. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is seen as a fixation in the mind at the primary stage of psychosexual development. The fact that compulsive behavior rituals often involve cleanliness shows that there is mental fixation during a period of mastering unclean bowel movements. Behaviorists believe that in anxiety disorders the individual is not "fixated" but they have a conditioned fear that does not involve oedipal complexes or displacement. The theory of classical conditioning says that phobias are the result of learned associations of neutral stimuli and frightening events. This also demonstrates why an individual might have a phobia of guns after being shot by one. Biological theorists believe that people with anxiety disorders have unusually responsive autonomic systems that are more easily aroused by environmental stimuli. This condition is known as autonomic lability that contributes to a tendency to be jumpy or anxious. They feel that the basal ganglia has loops in the sensory input and behavioral output centers. Somatoform Disorders Psychoanalysts feel that somatoform disorders are caused by unresolved sexual impulses that produce intense anxiety that is converted into physical symptoms. Because of this conversion the original anxiety produced is now reduced, this process is termed primary gain, but if the person is allowed to escape or avoid stressful life situations. Similar to the psychoanalysts' perspective of secondary gain, behaviorists feel that if a person is allowed to escape or avoid the physical symptoms are reinforced. Biological theorists, have very little to say since there seems to be no physical cause of the symptoms, except that there may be some genetic predisposition to Somatoform disorders. Dissociative 2005-06-21T23:11:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Various-Psychology-Disorders-and-Related-Theories-27122.aspx Is nicotine replacement therapy effective in helping people quit tobacco smoking? A Controlled Trial of Sustained-Release Bupropion, a Nicotine Patch, or Both for Smoking Cessation. Smoking is the silent killer of the 20th century more people died from smoking and smoking related illness in the past hundred years than in all the major wars. The situation used to be one of ignorance people did not realise the ill-effects of their habit on their health and the health of those around them. Today the situation has changed most realise the danger but many are addicted and find it extremely difficult to quit. Nicotine is a drug and like most is highly addictive it is a craving for this nicotine which makes it difficult to suddenly stop smoking, hence the introduction of nicotine replacement therapy. The release of nicotine or some similar substance delivers the nicotine to the body without the harmful tar of smoke inhalation hence relieving some of the craving intensity. Use of such nicotine-replacement therapies is thought to help people quit smoking. The study detailed above was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of such nicotine replacement therapies on smoking subjects, and monitor side effects (if any). The study combines nicotine release patches with an antidepressant bupropion (a combination now used pharmaceutically). Jornby et al.(1) conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison of sustained-release bupropion, a nicotine patch, bupropion and a nicotine patch, and placebo for smoking cessation. They excluded smokers with any clinical depression. Treatment consisted of nine weeks of bupropion (150 mg a day for the first three days, and then 150 mg twice daily) or placebo, as well as eight weeks of nicotine-patch therapy (21 mg per day during weeks 2 through 7, 14 mg per day during week 8, and 7 mg per day during week 9) or placebo. The target day for quitting smoking was usually day 8. They used 893 people (from an original 1182) who each smoked at least 15 cigarettes per day, recruited through media and allocated randomly to the relevant group. 244 subjects received sustained release bupropion 244 subjects received a nicotine patch 245 subjects received bupropion and a nicotine patch 160 subjects received a placebo The study deals with both the immediate cessation of smoking and also makes measure of levels of depression (directly linked to likelihood of smoking resumption) (Hurt et al(2) showed conclusively that bupropion administered exclusively resulted in a 23% long term success rate, hence linking affect or 2005-06-21T21:56:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nicotine-Replacement-Therapy,-Effective-or-not-27091.aspx Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder without the Hyperactivity (ADD) is a condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior in school and social settings. This condition is also called by various names: hyperactivity, minimal brain dysfunction, minimal brain damage and hyperkinetic syndrome. In 1968 the name was changed to hyperkinectic, meaning wildly fast-paced or excited, reaction of childhood. The focus was on Hyperactive children who had a lot of trouble sitting still in the classroom and getting there work completed (Peter Jaska, Ph.D). In 1980's the name was changed to attention Deficit Disorder because it became recognized that severe attention problems and poor impulse control were characteristic as well. It also became clear that ADHD did not go away in childhood but continue through adulthood. As per Peter Jaska, Ph.D., President, National ADDA, they know now that this genetic, inherited condition is not due to brain damage at all but rather to a variation in how the brain functions. All of these condition terms describe a condition that affects a child's ability to concentrate, to learn and to maintain a normal level of activity. Peter Jaska, Ph.D., 1999 National ADDA. A child with ADHD/ADD has difficulty finishing any activity that requires concentration, doesn't seem to listen, impulsive, restless even during sleep, calls out in class and has a hard time waiting his turn in games or groups. The symptoms of ADHD are grouped into two broad categories: inattention and hyperactivity-impulsive behavior. In general, children are said to have ADHD if they show six or more symptoms from each category for at least 6 months. These symptoms must significantly affect a child's ability to function in at least two social settings -- at home and at school. This helps ensure that the problem isn't with a particular teacher or only with parents. Children who have problems in school but get along well at home are not considered to have ADHD. In most children, symptoms appear between 4 and 6 years of age, although they sometimes may occur even earlier. Mayo clinic- Last Updated: May 18, 2001. Most children with ADHD don't have all the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Furthermore, symptoms may be different in boys and girls; boys are more likely to be hyperactive, and girls tend to be inattentive. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder is thought 2005-06-21T21:53:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder-ADHD-27090.aspx Bipolar depression, also known as bipolar disorder, manic depression and manic-depressive illness, is a form of a depressive illness in which mania and depression alternate. It is a disorder that affects over 2 million (1.2 percent) Americans and usually begins during adolescence (American Medical Association [AMA], 1998). It is often not recognized as a serious disorder, but in many cases it causes difficulty in occupational, educational, social life, and other important functioning. A person who has bipolar disorder swings between two extreme emotional poles- depression and mania. During the depression phase, the person will have the same symptoms as people with severe depression (AMA, 1998). Although the shifts of mood have nothing to do with daily activities, the symptoms may prevent the person from functioning normally. However, the All About Bipolar Disorder webpage (1995-2000), says that "increased stress and inadequate coping mechanisms to deal with that stress may also contribute to the disorder's manifestation." The cycles of mood shifts vary greatly in frequency and length. Some people may have several bouts of mania or depression in a row, some have them simultaneously and some have mania without depression (AMA, 1998). In some cases people never experience euphoria during mania, but go directly to a dysphoric state where their energy is boosted so they feel pressured in an uncomfortable state of mind. In other cases bipolar can have a triphasic characteristic, where there is a brief period of depression, then a sudden swing into mania, then depression will set in again for a few weeks (Mondimore, 1995). Some may have mixed mood states. "In mixed mood states (also referred to as dysphoric mania) pronounced symptoms of both depression and mania either co-exist or alternate during different periods of the day." (Daly, p.1157, 1997). However, typical bipolar patients alternate mania and depression with euthymania (normal mood) in between the two (Gorman, 1998). During the manic phase of bipolar depression a person undergoes changes in mood, distorted thinking and behavior. Euphoria is extremely common early in a manic episode. During mania, irritability is common, and any form of frustration becomes unbearable. Rage may be overwhelming if other try to restrain the manic behaviors. For example, "When you try to inhibit or criticize him, he will get angry, perhaps violent." (Cammer, 1969, p.45). Also, the person may experience a pressure to socialize or a sudden preoccupation with success, wealth, power, and fame (Mondimore, 1995). 2005-06-19T18:14:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mania-In-Bipolar-Depression-27002.aspx What is the true study of modern human emotion, thought, and behavior, psychology or philosophy? This question’s answer does not come easily to its solicitor; in fact, the two seemingly different subjects have a distinct and discernible relationship to one another. “Some things are up to us and some are not up to us. Our opinions are up to us, our impulses, desires, aversions, in-short whatever is our doing. Our bodies are not up to us, nor our possessions, our reputations, or our public offices, or that is, whatever is not of our own doing (Epictetus 1).” This citation, from a philosopher who lived around 100 B.C., illustrates the relationship between psychology and philosophy. When one examines the language housed within the passage he will understand, in order to lead a blissful life, one must have power over his reaction to an event and not let the event have power over his reaction. This effortless Stoic belief has lead to the development of a modern psychological therapy known as Rational-Emotive-Behavior-Therapy. This therapy uses a logical approach in order to solve problems with the human psyche.If one were to scrutinize the word “Psychological,” he will notice the word “Psycho” which is related to the word “Psyche,” which, in turn, means the human mind and its perception of consciousness. Upon further study of the word “Psychological,” the person in question will notice the latter part of the word is “Logical” which deals with the processing and the capability of rational human thought; therefore, one can infer that a psychological therapy must deal with the subjects awareness of his situation and his ability to rationalize his thoughts of such events. Rational-Emotive-Behavior-Therapy executes this conjecture to the letter. REBT is a reflexive approach to psychology that is gaining popularity. Today, REBT uses can be seen in everything from: combating unhealthy emotional outbursts, solving chemical dependencies, and improving a person’s overall mental self-image. Foremost, one must understand Rational-Emotive-Behavior-Therapy in order to apply REBT to the above-mentioned modes of use. REBT is a therapy residing in a subdivision of psychological therapies known as Cognitive therapy, or an assumption based therapy relying on the premise that psychological problems are due to maladaptive patterns of thinking (Hockenbury and Hockenbury 523). Gerald Metalsky Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Wisconsin’s Lawrence University, explains cognitive therapy to be the process of “Identifying deprossogenic thoughts, evaluating these thoughts, and challenging the cognition 2005-06-19T18:10:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rational-Emotive-Behavior-Therapy-27001.aspx A Dream's Worth A picture is worth a thousand words. You've heard it so many times that it sounds trite. But a picture really IS worth a thousand words. And if a dream is a very special kind of picture, how much is IT worth? Maybe more? What about very simple pictures and very simple dreams? No doubt they're worth a little bit less than complex, elaborate ones. Or are they? In my psychotherapy course one day, I presented my undergraduate students with these questions. "Here's a very simple dream from a psychotherapy client I worked with years ago. I won't tell you anything about the client. I'll just tell you his dream, and then lets see what we can discover about him by exploring it...... O.K? Here's the dream:" "I was wearing a white shirt and a purple tie." The students just stare at me, expecting more to come. "No," I explain, "that's it. That's the dream. Now let's start to explore it." I then lead them through a group process of free associating to the dream (much like I describe on the Working and Playing with Dreams Page). "Just let your imagination go. Take every element of the dream and just let your mind wander on it. Whatever comes to mind. Don't censor anything, that's important. There is no right or wrong. It can be a fun, playful exercise - although the results sometimes may be serious and powerful. Freud thought that free association bypasses the defenses of rational, logical thinking and unlocks deeper links within the unconscious. It opens one up to fantasy, symbolism, and emotion - the very place from which dreams spring." Here is a list of some of the associations the students come up with. For the purpose of this article I've organized them somewhat, whereas during the actual exercise the ideas surface in a much more freewheeling stream of consciousness: PURPLE .... royalty, bruises, choking, holding one's breath, grief, a combination of blue and pink, goes well with black, The Color of Purple TIE .... formal attire, going to work, phallic symbol, tied up, being tied to something, chokes the neck, confining PURPLE TIE .... unconventional, stands out, rebellious, showing off WHITE .... clean, pure, unstained, "good," light SHIRT .... the top part, covered up, tucked in, stuffed shirt, where are the pants? WHITE SHIRT.... conventional, boring, going to work, going to church, corporate America WHITE SHIRT AND PURPLE TIE.... unusual combination, contradictory combination, very unconventional, 2005-06-16T09:46:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Dream-s-Worth-Lesson-on-Psychology-of-Dreams-26884.aspx Freud: Scientist and / or Humanist My aim in this paper is to use historical analysis as a way of reflecting on the deepest philosophical assumptions of psychoanalysis. In preparing it, I have been very influenced by its venue, reflecting what I hope is an interest in the study of life, human nature and society. I have a certain sense of occasion about the growth of interest in the history of the human sciences. In fact it is a quarter of a century since I embarked on a doctoral dissertation in this area. It was, I don't mind saying, lonely work, and I cannot sufficiently convey my pleasure that there now appears to be a real interest in this country in humanistic scholarship about the history of the disciplines which seek to understand our humanity. I wish it well and I will do all I can to help it on its way. When I became a professional historian of psychology, it was considered sufficiently noteworthy that the main entrepreneur in the field, Robert I. Watson, dubbed me the 'first person ever to receive a doctorate in the history of psychology in the Anglo-Saxon world'. (I have never known if that was true or not, but it felt nice at the time.) I have moved on more than once, but I have remained preoccupied with human nature, the constraints on it, what can be hoped for and perhaps achieved, in a variety of guises: researching, teaching, supervising, editing, agitating a bit, making films about it, writing and publishing. I came to Britain to look into the issues lying conceptually beneath and historically behind Freud's metapsychology, in particular his first book On Aphasia (1891), and the philosophical assumptions conceptual confusions underlying psychoanalytic metapsychology. The doctoral dissertation I did was on the history of cerebral localization from the first empirical work, that of Gall and phrenology, to the first experimental work of Fritsch and Hitzig and of David Ferrier. Note that I make no mention of Freud whatsoever. The reason is that I was strongly advised by my doctoral supervisor not to go into psychoanalysis at all and by my department head not to mention any interest in the history of medical or psychiatric topics. The first because psychoanalysis wasn't psychology, and the second because medicine wasn't knowledge. Psychoanalysts were charlatans and medics were plumbers, I was told. Neither was respectable, nor was taking up an 2005-06-16T09:44:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Freud-Scientist-and-or-Humanist-26883.aspx Infidelity in Men: More than Just Sex The subject of infidelity is a frightening one to me. I have only been unfaithful once, but I remember it vividly. The thought that I could do something like that to a person that I cared about is depressing. Although I can clearly depict how bad cheating made me feel, I cannot explain why I did it. The best reason that I have been able to come up with is physical pleasure. The idea that I could betray somebody that I loved troubles me, but even more troubling is the prospect of infidelity in my own marriage. As a twenty-year-old, it is hard to imagine spending fifty years with only one person. I want to commit myself and have a family, but I worry that I might make a stupid mistake and tarnish a hopefully wonderful relationship. These worries have prompted me to investigate the reasons that men decide to have extra-marital sex. Although most research points to the idea that while women enter affairs for emotional reasons, men have extramarital sex for purely sexual reasons, I have concluded that a large part of a man’s desire to be unfaithful results from emotional causes as well. Gender-Based Differences According to Cathy Young, “gender differences in sexual attitudes and behavior are much more dramatic than in virtually any other area.” Men cheat on their wives at much more alarming rates than women cheat on husbands. More than half of all men are suspected of cheating on their wives at some point in their relationships. Most theorists suggest that the reason men tend to cheat more lies in a fundamental difference between the sexes. This difference can be manifested in a number of ways, including “in attitude towards the whole sexual experience. Whereas most women tend to view sex as an aspect of love and emotional intimacy men tend to see it in the same way they see going out with the boys and having a few beers… as a way to have a good time.” Some theorists suggest the idea that “men in our society generally draw a sharp distinction between physical sex and emotional love, whereas most women do not draw such a distinction; for them physical sex and emotional love are the same thing.” The question of whether these sex differences are genetically or societal-induced is not important for this paper. 2005-06-16T04:56:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Infidelity-in-Men-More-than-Just-Sex-26873.aspx [i:c9ad100d69]"A child's future relationships are almost entirely determined by the quality of attachment to the mother." Discuss, referring to relevant empirical evidence.[/i:c9ad100d69] The primal importance of a child's bond to its mother has always been recognised, and is a topic that has fascinated people for thousands of years. Playwrights from Sophocles to the modern day have explored this, and in more recent times psychologists have devoted much research and conjecture to understanding it. Among psychologists, there is much debate about exactly how important this attachment is, and why. At the turn of the century, the treatment of new-born babies was regarded as having little significance for later life, as babies were thought to be immune to influence. This idea, like many others prevalent at that time, was attacked by Sigmund Freud. He believed (see Freud, 1933 for a synopsis, but this theory was put forward considerably earlier) that the relationship a child has with its mother is a prototype on which all future relationships are based. Freud's theory held that the child becomes attached to its mother because she is its source of food, hence she gratifies its most basic needs. Slightly later in childhood, the drive for food is supplemented by another basic drive - the need for sexual pleasure. According to Freud's theory, the mother, who is already an object of love because of her role in satisfying the first need, becomes an object of desire with whom the child wants to gratify its sexual desire (this is with reference to boys - an equivalent mechanism was proposed for girls, but much criticised, and Freud eventually admitted to not understanding female sexuality). In the normal course of growing up, the child comes to accept that this can not be, and sets out to become an adult, and find another figure with whom to satisfy this need. It follows that if future relationships are a substitute for the mother-child bond, then they will also be modelled on it. Many people have questioned this cynical view of infants, including John Bowlby (1969, 1973). He disregarded what he called Freud's "cupboard love" theory of attachment, believing instead that a child is born biologically pre-disposed to become attached to its mother for two important reasons. These are the need for comfort, and the fear of the unknown, both of which are characteristics that can be observed in all children. Thus the bond with the mother is 2005-06-06T07:30:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Child-s-Relationships-Based-on-Attachment-to-Mother-26834.aspx [i:26430bb9a3]Discuss Le Bon’s view that crowds are "intellectually inferior, driven by emotion and instinctual urges, and free from the restraints of civilised life and reason."[/i:26430bb9a3] In October this year (1998) an accident occurred in Gothenburg, Sweden, were approximately 67 individuals died. About 200 people were gathered in a room when the place took fire. Having only one exit, people rushed at the same time towards the entrance. The entrance was blocked and people were falling on top of each other. A tragedy was a fact. What caused the people to rush to the exit? Did they become too emotional? Did they think that that was the most optimal choice? In this essay we are discussing Gustave Le Bon’s theory of crowd behaviour. First we will take a closer look at Le Bon’s view that crowds are irrational, emotional and unconscious and secondly we will discuss his theory in comparison to other theories or research that has been developed or done in the area. According to Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931) the crowd submerge the individuals rationality and (private) self-awareness. It is worth noting that a psychological crowd is not only a group of people together. For Le Bon, a psychological crowd is a group of people that "under certain given circumstances, and only under those circumstances, an agglomeration of men presents new characteristics very different from those of the individuals composing it" (Le Bon, p. 2, 1895). In the phase where the individuals loose their selves, the crowd reach the state that Le Bon called the collective mind. In this state of mind the individual feels, thinks and acts differently compared to if he were alone. The emotions, thoughts and acts spread like a disease in the crowd – the result being that everybody behaves in the same manner. This is what Le Bon called contagion. When the crowd is in the same state of mind, they replace private self-awareness with primitive instinctual urges. According to Le Bon the psychological crowd holds characteristics which are savagery, primitive and uncivilised (e.g. no self-awareness, unconscious). "Crowds are only powerful for destruction. Their rule is always tantamount to a barbaric phase" (Le Bon, p. xviii, 1895). This process of self-immolation that individuals go through to merge into the crowd is caused by several reasons. Firstly, group membership delivers anonymity, which gives the member ‘invincible power’, and less personal responsibility. Secondly, ideas and feelings are spread rapidly 2005-06-06T07:26:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discussion-of-Le-Bon-s-View-of-Crowds-26833.aspx "Critically review the ways in which intelligence is measured." Intelligence has always been a major and controversial issue for psychologists. Intelligence has three major areas of debate: its definition, its measurement, and its heritability (Source: Weinberg, 1989). The title of this essay asks specifically about measurement of intelligence, but this thereby requires an investigation into the definition of intelligence used, because of its massive influence on its potential measurement. It also raises the question of whether intelligence can be measured at all. A common criticism of I.Q. tests is that they only show how good you are at I.Q. tests and do not reflect ‘true’ intelligence. The solution therefore to understand intelligence better before we try to measure it, although this is by no means an easy task. Cicero was the first to use the term ‘intelligentia’ in an attempt to provide a Latin equivalent for a Greek philosophical term (Source: Cyril Burt, 1955 pp. 159). Today there are many different definitions of intelligence, and obviously this shows that it means different things to different people. Intelligence therefore is a term that is vague yet flexible and has many characteristics. (Source: I. Roth 1990) Nowadays it is widely accepted that intelligence is a ‘general cognitive ability’ (i.e. capacity), but this is still far to vague a definition to be useful in measuring it. Binet and Simon (1905) raised the issue that intelligence’s generality is a problem: "Almost all the phenomena that occupy psychology are phenomena of intelligence..... Should we put all of psychology in the tests?" (Binet and Simon, 1905; Quoted in Wolf, 1973, p.178) There are 3 major approaches to intelligence: the psychometric approach, the information processing approach and the developmental approach. The psychometric approach, as the name infers, focuses on the measurement of intelligence. Psychometrics takes a practical approach to intelligence, but the definition of intelligence it uses- "that which is measured by IQ tests" - is flawed in that it does not avoid the problem of defining intelligence, it merely predisposes the problems of definition onto the structure and type of test used. The information processing approach is more complex that the psychometric approach: it enquires into the nature of intelligence and how it works, rather than attempting to measure it, and in doing this it is a more advanced and mature approach. Hebb (1949) divided intelligence into two categories that have proved useful in approaching intelligence: Intelligence A and Intelligence B. 2005-06-06T07:24:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Review-on-how-Intelligence-is-Measured-26832.aspx "Artificial Intelligence is impossible because computers will never be able to think and behave in the same way as human beings." Artificial intelligence (AI) is a young interdisciplinary field of research that combines cognitive science and computer sciences. A good general definition of its aims was made by Professor Aaron Sloman in Computers and Thought (1989, MIT Press): "AI is a very general investigation of the nature of intelligence and the principles and mechanisms required for understanding or replicating it." This essay aims to make a critical analysis of the title, taking into consideration any relevant views held by experts in the AI field. It also aims to illustrate some of the major philosophical stumbling blocks that occur in the arguments. AI is a field of research that has captured the public eye. If AI were possible to the standard of human intelligence it would have a massive impact on our society and lives in general. Consider that at present automation is limited to repetitive, mundane tasks and this alone has slashed the number of jobs in industry. Then consider the advent of automated systems which have intelligence: they could be used in literally any niche of presently human-based employment. Some of the issues AI raises open a "Pandora's box" of controversial arguments, similar to those raised by genetic engineering. For example, is it right for us to attempt to 'play God' and create intelligence? If we are able to create an artificially conscious 'being', independent of any 'divine intervention', what does this infer about the religious issue of Divine intervention in the creation of human consciousness? It is no surprise that the public is tending to avoid the issue by denying its validity point blank. Computer hardware does have some significant advantages over biological nervous tissue: these advantages indirectly aid the development of AI. The following points are paraphrased from Roger Penrose in his essay "Setting the scene: the Claim and Issues" from the volume "The Simulation of Human Intelligence" (1993, Blackwell). Firstly, Electronic circuits are already about a million times faster than speed of a nerve cell transmitting an impulse. Secondly, electronic circuits have an immense advantage over brains in terms of precision in timing, and accuracy of action. One major pitfall is that no neural network yet constructed has anywhere near the multitude of synapses (ie connections between neurones) that occur in a biological brain, but this may be overcome 2005-06-06T07:23:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Is-Artificial-Intelligence-Possible-26831.aspx Kohlberg Moral Development Theory Lawrence Kohlberg was born in Bronxville, New York on October 25, 1927. He was born into a wealthy family and enjoyed all of the luxuries that the rich lifestyle had to offer including the finest college prep schools. However, Kohlberg was not too concerned with this lifestyle. Instead he became a sailor with the merchant marines. During World War II, Kohlberg played an instrumental role in smuggling Jews through a British blockade in Palestine. It was during these times that Kohlberg first began thinking about moral reasoning, a subject that would later make him famous. After this Kohlberg enrolled at the University of Chicago where he scored so high on admission test that he only had to take a limited number of courses to earn his bachelor’s degree. This he did in one year. Kohlberg remained at the University Chicago as a graduate student. In 1958, Kohlberg completed his Ph.D. which dealt with moral decision making and was based primarily on the earlier work of Jean Piaget. The result was his doctoral dissertation, the first rendition of his new stage theory. Later he served as an assistant professor at Yale University from 1959 to 1961, began teaching at the University of Chicago in 1963. He remained at Chicago until his 1967 appointment to the faculty of Harvard University, where he served as professor of education and social psychology until his death in 1987. Many of our inner standards take the form of judgments as to what is right and what is wrong. They constitute the moral and ethical principles by which we guide our conduct. Lawrence Kohlberg refined, extended, and revised Piaget’s basic theory of the development of moral values. Like Piaget, Kohlberg focused on the moral judgements in children rather than their actions. The manner in which moral judgments develop has been studied extensively by Kohlberg, through the questioning of boys seven years old and up. Kohlberg presented his subjects with a number of hypothetical situations involving moral question like the following. If a man’s wife is dying for lack of an expensive drug that he cannot afford, should he steal the drug? If a patient who is fatally ill and in great pain begs for a mercy killing, should the physician agree? By analyzing the answers and particularly the reasoning by which his subjects reached their answers. Kohlberg determined that moral judgments develop through a 2005-05-27T07:40:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Kohlberg’s-Theory-on-Moral-Development-in-Children-26785.aspx Classical Conditioning vs Operant Conditioning Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are different learning methods. The two methods have the word conditioning in common. What is conditioning? Conditioning is the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli. Both classical and operant conditioning are basic forms of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. Manipulating reflexes does this. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the likelihood of a behavior is increased or decreased by the use of reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning deals with more cognitive thought process. These two forms of learning have similarities and differences. Their similarities are that they both produce basic phenomena. One such phenomenon is acquisition. Both types of conditioning result in the inheritance of a behavior. One of the most famous of experiments that illustrates classical conditioning is Pavlov's Dogs. In this experiment, Pavlov sat behind a one-way mirror and controlled the presentation of a bell. The bell was the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus was an originally neutral stimulus that could eventually produce a desired response when presented alone. Directly after the ringing of the bell, Pavlov gave the dog food. The food was the unconditioned stimulus. This means that the food caused an uncontrollable response whenever it was presented alone. That response would be the salivation of the dog. A tube that was in the dog's mouth then measured the saliva. When the unconditioned stimulus (US) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS), it eventually resulted in a conditioned response. Extinction results if there is a decrease in frequency or strength of a learned response due to the failure to continue to pair the US and the CS. Extinction can also occur in operant conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is reinforcement. Reinforcement is when a stimulus is presented that increases the probability that the preceding response will recur in the future. If reinforcement is withheld, extinction will occur in operant conditioning. Another factor that is involved in conditioning is spontaneous recovery. That is the reappearance of an extinguished response after the passage of time, without further training. If Pavlov's dogs did not hear the bell for a few years, and if when they heard it later they drooled, it would be an example of spontaneous recovery. Something 2005-05-27T07:32:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classical-Conditioning-vs-Operant-Conditioning-26781.aspx Development of Language Knowing a language means one can speak, be understood and understand others who know the language. Although I have taken three years of Spanish, I would not say that I definitively know Spanish. I would not feel comfortable going to Spain alone and trying to survive merely with the three years training that I received. I would inevitably make mistakes, conjugating verbs improperly or stringing nonsensical sentences together. Knowing a language means knowing the things that you aren?t taught. I could spend five more years in a Spanish class, learning all the rules and vocabulary, but I still would not feel I knew the language. Knowing the language means understanding the unspoken rules behind that language. It is in understanding what is possible and, conversely, what is impossible in a language that one can truly know that language. Logically it follows then to ask; if this unspoken knowledge is not taught, how is it learned? Prior to the lecture on language competence I would have said, purely from an observational standpoint, that those rules of language are learned chiefly through imitation. A child hears what his or her parents say and mimics them. Through correction and over time, these rules are then conditioned into that child. When asked, however, how do you explain the fact that children do not make random mistakes, but rather predictable ones, this theory begins to break down. Allotting sole propriety to imitation as the means by which we learn a language also brings to light further problems. If children are merely imitating, why do they make mistakes and simplify rules, applying them in the wrong context? Furthermore, how can children, if merely imitating, make up words we don?t have or form sentences they have never heard before? While I still believe that the role of imitation holds credence as a factor in language acquisition, there must be some other explanation. Since the imitation explanation of language acquisition falls on the side of nurture in the whole nature/nurture debate, one must then logically conclude that its opposite, nature, must also play a role. One could posit that learning a language is unlike learning how to ride a bike, being instead much like learning to walk. Language is an innate biologically programmed human ability. Learning to ride a bike is a conscious decision; it is not an ability that one just picks up along the 2005-05-27T07:15:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Development-of-Language--26778.aspx Economic Development of Hawaii Hawaii, with an area of 28,313 sq. km (10,932 sq. mi.), is the 43rd largest state in the U.S.; 6.9% of the land is owned by the federal government. It consists mainly of the Hawaiian Islands, eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs, and shoals. The major islands in order of size are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Nihau, and Kahoolawe. Population growth has increased by 80,000 persons over the past five years. Demographics show a large number of Hispanic origin: Asian Hispanics are the most populated with white Hispanic and Asian non-Hispanic following. Hawaii's economy has been long dominated by plantation agriculture and military spending. As agriculture has declined in importance, the economy has diversified to encompass a large tourist business and a growing manufacturing industry. Hawaii's economy has changed drastically since statehood. In 1958, defense, sugar, and pineapple were the primary economic activities, accounting for 40% of Gross State Product (GSP). In contrast, visitor-related expenditures stood at just over 4% of Hawaii's GSP prior to statehood. Today the positions are reversed; sugar and pineapple constitute about 1% of GSP, defense accounts for just under 11%, while visitor-related spending comes close to 24% of Hawaii's GSP. The movement toward a service- and trade-based economy becomes even more apparent when considering the distribution of Hawaii's jobs across sectors. The share of the economy's jobs accounted for by manufacturing and agriculture have declined steadily since 1959 and each currently makes up less than 4% of total jobs in the economy. At the same time, the shares of jobs in wholesale and retail trade and in services have risen, ezding at about 23% and 28%, respectively. Since 1991, Hawaii's economy has suffered from rising rates of unemployment. This ezds in marked contrast to the period 1980 to 1993, when the state enjoyed very low unemployment rates relative to the nation as a whole. But by 1994 the recession had raised Hawaii's unemployment rate to the national average (6.1%) for the first time in 15 years. In 1995, the state's unemployment rate improved slightly in the first eleven months of the year to 5.4 percent, a 0.6 percentage point decline from the first eleven months of 1994. Despite the lower unemployment rate, the total number of wage and salary jobs declined by 0.6 percent during the first eleven months of 1995. This was due in part to a fall 2005-05-27T04:58:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Development-of-Hawaii-26757.aspx Modern Economic Theories: Keynesian and Supply Side Two controversial economic policies are Keynesian economics and Supply Side economics. They represent opposite sides of the economic policy spectrum and were introduced at opposite ends of the 20th century, yet still are the most famous for their effects on the economy of the United States when they were used. The founder of Keynesian economic theory was John Maynard Keynes. He made many great accomplishments during his time and probably his greatest was what he did for America in its hour of need. During the 1920's, the U.S. experienced a stock market crash of enormous proportions which crippled the economy for years. Keynes knew that to recover as soon as possible, the government had to intervene and put a decrease on taxes along with an increase in spending. By putting more money into the economy and allowing more Americans to keep what they earned, the economy soon recovered and once again became prosperous. Keynes ideas were very radical at the time, and Keynes was called a socialist in disguise. Keynes was not a socialist, he just wanted to make sure that the people had enough money to invest and help the economy along. As far as stressing extremes, Keynesian economics pushed for a "happy medium" where output and prices are conezt, and there is no surplus in supply, but also no deficit. Supply Side economics emphasized the supply of goods and services. Supply Side economics supports higher taxes and less government spending to help economy. Unfortunately, the Supply Side theory was applied in excess during a period in which it was not completely necessary. The Supply Side theory, also known as Reganomics, was initiated during the Regan administration. During the 1970's, the state and local governments increased sales and excise taxes. These taxes were passed from business to business and finally to the customer, resulting in higher prices. Along with raised taxes for the middle and lower classes, this effect was compounded because there was little incentive to work if even more was going to be taxed. People were also reluctant to put money into savings accounts or stocks because the interest dividends were highly taxed. There was also too much protection of business by the government which was inefficient and this also ran up costs, and one thing the Supply Side theory was quite good at was reinforcing inflation. The two opposites of the Supply Side and 2005-05-27T04:58:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modern-Economic-Theories-Keynesian-and-Supply-Side-26756.aspx U.S. Budget Deficit - Good or Bad? "Spending financed not by current tax receipts, but by borrowing or drawing upon past tax reserves." , Is it a good idea? Why does the U.S. run a deficit? Since 1980 the deficit has grown enormously. Some say its a bad thing, and predict impending doom, others say it is a safe and stable necessity to maintain a healthy economy. When the U.S. government came into existence and for about a 150 years thereafter the government managed to keep a balanced budget. The only times a budget deficit existed during these first 150 years were in times of war or other catastrophic events. The Government, for inezce, generated deficits during the War of 1812, the recession of 1837, the Civil War, the depression of the 1890s, and World War I. However, as soon as the war ended the deficit would be eliminated and the economy which was much larger than the amounted debt would quickly absorb it. The last time the budget ran a surplus was in 1969 during Nixon's presidency. Budget deficits have grown larger and more frequent in the last half-century. In the 1980s they soared to record levels. The Government cut income tax rates, greatly increased defense spending, and didn't cut domestic spending enough to make up the difference. Also, the deep recession of the early 1980s reduced revenues, raising the deficit and forcing the Government to spend much more on paying interest for the national debt at a time when interest rates were high. As a result, the national debt grew in size after 1980. It grew from $709 billion to $3.6 trillion in 1990, only one decade later. Increase of National Debt Since 1980 Month Amount -------------------------------------------- 12/31/1980 $930,210,000,000.00 * 12/31/1981 $1,028,729,000,000.00 * 12/31/1982 $1,197,073,000,000.00 * 12/31/1983 $1,410,702,000,000.00 * 12/31/1984 $1,662,966,000,000.00 * 12/31/1985 $1,945,941,616,459.88 12/31/1986 $2,214,834,532,586.43 12/31/1987 $2,431,715,264,976.86 12/30/1988 $2,684,391,916,571.41 12/29/1989 $2,952,994,244,624.71 12/31/1990 $3,364,820,230,276.86 12/31/1991 $3,801,698,272,862.02 12/31/1992 $4,177,009,244,468.77 12/31/1993 $4,535,687,054,406.14 12/30/1994 $4,800,149,946,143.75 10/31/1995 $4,985,262,110,021.06 11/30/1995 $4,989,329,926,644.31 12/29/1995 $4,988,664,979,014.54 01/31/1996 $4,987,436,358,165.20 02/29/1996 $5,017,040,703,255.02 03/29/1996 $5,117,786,366,014.56 04/30/1996 $5,102,048,827,234.22 05/31/1996 $5,128,508,504,892.80 06/28/1996 $5,161,075,688,140.93 07/31/1996 $5,188,888,625,925.87 08/30/1996 $5,208,303,439,417.93 09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73 10/01/1996 $5,234,730,786,626.50 10/02/1996 $5,235,509,457,452.56 10/03/1996 $5,222,192,137,251.62 10/04/1996 $5,222,049,625,819.53 * Rounded to Millions Federal spending has grown over the years, especially starting in the 1930s in actual dollars and in proportion to the economy (Gross Domestic Product, or GDP). Beginning with the "New Deal" in the 1930s, the Federal Government came to play a 2005-05-27T04:54:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/U_S_-Budget-Deficit-26754.aspx Sex or Subordination? Violence and Pornography In the late Seventies, America became shocked and outraged by the rape, mutilation, and murder of over a dozen young, beautiful girls. The man who committed these murders, Ted Bundy, was later apprehended and executed. During his detention in various penitentiaries, he was mentally probed and prodded by psychologist and psychoanalysts hoping to discover the root of his violent actions and sexual frustrations. Many theories arose in attempts to explain the motivational factors behind his murderous escapades. However, the strongest and most feasible of these theories came not from the psychologists, but from the man himself, "as a teenager, my buddies and I would all sneak around and watch porn. As I grew older, I became more and more interested and involved in it, [pornography] became an obsession. I got so involved in it, I wanted to incorporate [porn] into my life, but I couldn't behave like that and maintain the success I had worked so hard for. I generated an alter-ego to fulfill my fantasies under-cover. Pornography was a means of unlocking the evil I had burried inside myself" (Leidholdt 47). Is it possible that pornography is acting as the key to unlocking the evil in more unstable minds? According to Edward Donnerstein, a leading researcher in the pornography field, "the relationship between sexually violent images in the media and subsequent aggression and . . . callous attitudes towards women is much stonger statistically than the relationship between smoking and cancer" (Itzin 22). After considering the increase in rape and molestation, sexual harassment, and other sex crimes over the last few decades, and also the corresponding increase of business in the pornography industry, the link between violence and pornogrpahy needs considerable study and examination. Once the evidence you will encounter in this paper is evaluated and quantified, it will be hard not come away with the realization that habitual use of pornographic material promotes unrealistic and unattainable desires in men that can leac to violent behavior toward women. In order to properly discuss pornography, and be able to link it to violence, we must first come to a basic and agreeable understanding of what the word pornography means. The term pornogrpahy originates from two greek words, porne, which means harlot, and graphein, which means to write (Webster's 286). My belief is that the combination of the two words was originally meant to describe, in literature, 2005-05-26T10:00:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sex-or-Subordination-Violence-and-Pornography-26745.aspx On Narcissism: Psychological Theories and Therapeutic Interventions in the Narcissistic Disorders Introduction Understanding the Narcissistic Phenomenon The so called 'narcissistic personality disorder' is a complex and often misunderstood disorder. The cardinal feature of the narcissistic personality is the grandiose sense of self importance, but paradoxically underneath this grandiosity the narcissist suffers from a chronically fragile low self esteem. The grandiosity of the narcissist, however, is often so pervasive that we tend to dehumanize him or her. The narcissist conjures in us images of the mythological character Narcissus who could only love himself, rebuffing anyone who attempted to touch him. Nevertheless, it is the underlying sense of inferiority which is the real problem of the narcissist, the grandiosity is just a facade used to cover the deep feelings of inadequacy. The Makeup of the Narcissistic Personality The narcissist's grandiose behavior is designed to reaffirm his or her sense of adequacy. Since the narcissist is incapable of asserting his or her own sense of adequacy, the narcissist seeks to be admired by others. However, the narcissist's extremely fragile sense of self worth does not allow him or her to risk any criticism. Therefore, meaningful emotional interactions with others are avoided. By simultaneously seeking the admiration of others and keeping them at a distance the narcissist is usually able to maintain the illusion of grandiosity no matter how people respond. Thus, when people praise the narcissist his or her grandiosity will increase, but when criticized the grandiosity will usually remain unaffected because the narcissist will devalue the criticizing person. Akhtar (1989) [as cited in Carson & Butcher, 1992; P. 271] discusses six areas of pathological functioning which characterize the narcissist. In particular, four of these narcissistic character traits best illustrate the pattern discussed above. " (1) a narcissistic individual has a basic sense of inferiority, which underlies a preoccupation with fantasies of outstanding achievement; (2) a narcissistic individual is unable to trust and rely on others and thus develops numerous, shallow relationships to extract tributes from others;(3) a narcissistic individual has a shifting morality-always ready to shift values to gain favor; and (4) a narcissistic person is unable to remain in love, showing an impaired capacity for a committed relationship". The Therapeutic Essence of Treating Narcissism The narcissist who enters therapy does not think that there is something wrong with him or her. Typically, the narcissist seeks therapy because he or she is unable to maintain the grandiosity which protects him 2005-05-26T09:57:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Theories-on-Narcissism-26743.aspx Bipolar Disorder Research Paper The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the abundance of people suffering from the it, we are still waiting for definite explanations for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its' victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because bipolar disorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in the quest for explanations of its causes and treatment. Affective disorders are characterized by a smorgasbord of symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can become feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include anhedonia, disturbances in sleep and appetite, psycomoter retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty thinking, indecision, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). The manic episodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and often reckless or irresponsible behavior (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Bipolar affective disorder affects approximately one percent of the population (approximately three million people) in the United States. It is presented by both males and females. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of mania and depression. These episodes may alternate with profound depressions characterized by a pervasive sadness, almost inability to move, hopelessness, and disturbances in appetite, sleep, in concentrations and driving. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed if an episode of mania occurs whether depression has been diagnosed or not (Goodwin, Guze, 1989, p 11). Most commonly, individuals with manic episodes experience a period of depression. Symptoms include elated, expansive, or irritable mood, hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, inflated self esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and excessive involvement in reckless activities (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Rarest symptoms were periods of loss of all interest and retardation or agitation (Weisman, 1991). As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA) has demonstrated, bipolar disorder can create substantial developmental delays, marital and family disruptions, occupational setbacks, and financial disasters. This devastating disease 2005-05-26T09:54:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bipolar-Disorder-Research-Paper-26742.aspx Battered Women's Syndrome: A Survey of Contemporary Theories In 1991, Governor William Weld modified parole regulations and permitted women to seek commutation if they could present evidence indicating they suffered from battered women's syndrome. A short while later, the Governor, citing spousal abuse as his impetus, released seven women convicted of killing their husbands, and the Great and General Court of Massachusetts enacted Mass. Gen. L. ch. 233  23E (1993), which permits the introduction of evidence of abuse in criminal trials. These decisive acts brought the issue of domestic abuse to the public's attention and left many Massachusetts residents, lawyers and judges struggling to define battered women's syndrome. In order to help these individuals define battered women's syndrome, the origins and development of the three primary theories of the syndrome and recommended treatments are outlined below. I. The Classical Theory of Battered Women's Syndrome and its Origins The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), known in the mental health field as the clinician's bible, does not recognize battered women's syndrome as a distinct mental disorder. In fact, Dr. Lenore Walker, the architect of the classical battered women's syndrome theory, notes the syndrome is not an illness, but a theory that draws upon the principles of learned helplessness to explain why some women are unable to leave their abusers. Therefore, the classical battered women's syndrome theory is best regarded as an offshoot of the theory of learned helplessness and not a mental illness that afflicts abused women. The theory of learned helplessness sought to account for the passive behavior subjects exhibited when placed in an uncontrollable environment. In the late 60's and early 70's, Martin Seligman, a famous researcher in the field of psychology, conducted a series of experiments in which dogs were placed in one of two types of cages. In the former cage, henceforth referred to as the shock cage, a bell would sound and the experimenters would electrify the entire floor seconds later, shocking the dog regardless of location. The latter cage, however, although similar in every other respect to the shock cage, contained a small area where the experimenters could administer no shock. Seligman observed that while the dogs in the latter cage learned to run to the nonelectrified area after a series of shocks, the dogs in the shock cage gave up trying to escape, even when placed in the latter cage and shown that escape was 2005-05-26T09:53:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Battered-Women-s-Syndrome-A-Survey-of-Contemporary-Theories-26741.aspx Imports and GDP Have you ever go to New York for vacation, buy a Hyundai (Korean Manufacturer) car or buying an Acer (Taiwan Manufacturer) computer. Have you consider that this transaction will affect the GDP for Canada. By definition, Imports are the purchase of goods produced in the rest of the world by firms and households in Canada. (Parkin & Bade, p. 700) Canada have to imports because Canada import products whose world price is less than the price that would rule domestically if there were no foreign trade. These mean the world price of a goods or services is below the Canadian no-trade price, so that, at the price ruling in Canada, domestic demand over domestic supply is met by imports. (Lipsey p.81) Imports of goods and services are determined by the foreign exchange rate. Other things remaining the same, the higher the value of the Canadian dollar against other currencies, the larger is the quantity of Canadian imports. (Parkin & Bade p.700) To define the commodity is non-merchandise good; we only consider the service sector from the services and goods. For an example: Banking service with foreign bank, courier transportation services to foreign country were the imports of goods and services (non-merchandise good). Services are the intangible things that satisfy a want. (James p. G14) Real GDP also determinant the imports. Other things remaining the same, the higher the level of Canadian real GDP, the larger is the quantity of Canadian imports. The transaction with the rest of the world, we have to look at the net export, it equals exports of goods and services to the rest of the world minus imports of goods and services form the rest of the world. (Parkin & Bade p.626) To find the relationship between the GDP at market price and Imports of goods and services, it may use the expenditure approach to calculate the aggregate income. Aggregate income or expenditure is equal to the GDP at market price while GDP = Y. This equality occurs because Canada can paid to the factors of production or as the expenditure on that output (Parkin & Bade p.627) Since Y=C+I+G+NX, so GDP=C+I+G+(Ex-Im). (Lipsey p.426) Imports are the leakages from the circular flow of income and expenditure are income that is not spent on domestically services. From the equation, generally the other things remaining the same the higher the import will bring the less GDP. However, from 2005-05-26T09:30:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imports-and-GDP--26727.aspx Troubled Adolescence Adolescents today are growing up in a totally different setting than the generation before them. New problems and choices are entering these young, and influential kids lives. There are a lot of different factors in children's lives that weren't as common one generation ago. Adolescents today are filled with stress due to everyday problems in their lives. There are many factors that are playing into all of this stress put on children. One of these factors is divorce, one-parent families. Since 1960, the divorce rate has almost doubled. Almost one half of all marriages end in divorce. With this, about one quarter of all births are to unmarried women. Adolescents growing up in a single parent family are more likely to try health compromising activities, like drugs, alcohol, unprotected sex, and smoking. Also, with the separation of their parents comes a higher rate of mental illness, and dropping out of school. Worst of all is the increased suicide rate. (Losing Generations 43-49) Children also have a lot of stress put on them at school. This is a place where children are supposed to have fun and learn basic fundamentals of life. Instead they are getting picked on and even beat up. They go through school scared, and this takes their minds off of schoolwork. Then when their grades fail, their parents punish them. The children need support and a sense of well-being. If all they know is getting made fun of and picked on, there is going to be hatred and aggression built up. While all these angers are building up inside of them, it lets their defenses down a little. It makes them vulnerable to peer pressure. They tend to be more daring and experimental, and they fail to think about the physical attributes that come into play. Like having unprotected sex, doing drugs, smoking, and drinking alcohol. These could have a major affect on their physical, and even mental state of being. The really sad thing is that the kids don't even understand what they are doing to themselves. They are caught up in a world of separation, and aggression. Adolescents with all of these problems and aggression have been known to bring on some of the most violent crimes in the country. This is a 2005-05-20T09:41:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Troubled-Adolescence--26688.aspx Economic Impact Of A Sports Facility Feasibility Study Before a facility's economic impact can be determined, a feasibility study should be done to excite the community members about the facility. The purpose of a feasibility study is to "provide research information about the community, special interest groups, and its use as a decision making tool in the community" (Farmer, Montgomery, Ammon, Jr. 12). In essence, this study is done to assure the community that building a sports facility is right for them and that their money will not go to waste. It also let's them know why their area is the most feasible for the facility. It also gives them non-economic influences such as civic pride in their team. If they have more than just economic reasons to approve the stadium, they will not need that much more influence to vote yes. The main points of the study should include estimated economic benefits to the owner of the team and facility, the short term costs along with term costs, and cultural or economic loses and benefits to the community. The cost of the study usually runs about $.08 per person in the community. (E.g. 75,000 people = $6,000 cost) When doing these studies, the city offices need to hire outside firms and specialist such as accountants and economists. These people will bring credibility to the studies, which will look good to the people in the community. The weakness with hiring these outside firms is that they are in this for themselves and may not understand what you are trying to do. If they do not understand how this is intended to be a positive influence on your residents, they may not focus on the positive points as much as the officials would like. When the financing of the facility needs to be determined, it forces the city officials to put together where the money they need is going to come from. They can take from the community, take from the owner of the teams, or hire an entirely new owner for the building. Before a facility is built, there may be need to schedule dates for events in advance and collect deposits to help pay for the construction. By attracting a prime tenant immediately, many dates on the calendar will be filled and attracting a prime tenant immediately will put a 2005-05-20T09:38:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Impact-of-a-Sports-Facility-26686.aspx Conflict in Romantic Relationships As long as people have gotten romantically involved with one another, there has been conflict within those relationships. Some people argue that conflict is bad for the relationship and will ultimately lead to the demise of that relationship. Others argue that the conflict is good for the relationship and will help it to flourish. Conflict can be both positive and negative for a relationship. It can both help and hinder the relationship. No matter what stage the relationship is in and whether or not the relationship is being helped or hurt, conflict is always happening in different contexts. Conflict is also caused by numerous reasons. These reasons include a lack of interpersonal communication skills, low levels of trust, physical abuse, an individual's past history in relationships, and many others. Not many people in the world can say that they have had a 100% successful romantic relationship. Looking at the high divorce rate in the United States can prove this. However, there are those couples that have remained together for numerous years. As I am sure that conflict played a big part in ending a large number of relationships, I am also sure that the successful relationships have had their fair share of conflict and have even been helped by that conflict. In this paper, I have constructed nine propositions relating conflict to certain behaviors within romantic relationships. Each one will be defined, summarized, and supported according to the available research. P1- Women that have been abused in the past are more likely to remain in an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, thousands of women are abused everyday in the United States. This abuse can be physical, verbal, or psychological. Women, by nature, seem to hold a higher sense of personal worth when involved in a relationship. From birth, women are taught by society to conform to certain expectations and definitions of what it means to be a female. Growing up, women always here phrases such as "That's not lady like" or "You should be treated like a lady". What does it mean to be a lady? According to most societies, it means that women are the weaker sex and are always in need of a man to take care of them. Men are taught, from birth, what it means to be 2005-05-20T09:25:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conflict-in-Romantic-Relationships-26685.aspx Why Gas Prices Are Rising, Alternative Fuels in America OR EVEN ABOUT SQUEEZING a few more miles out of each precious tankful. But among the special-edition Ferraris, bizarre Cadillac studies and a whole new crop of gas-guzzling SUVs, not all that many people were talking about cheaper and cleaner ways of getting around. The section of the show dedicated to 'New Energies' was a tiny corner on the second floor of Hall 2, behind the stands of the insurance companies. There were exactly two exhibits. The lull is deceiving. Never have so many automakers put as much money and effort into building a greener car. Not entirely without some prodding, mind you. Facing clean-fleet laws in the U.S. and "voluntary" restrictions in Europe, the industry is committing to cut emissions of its gasoline and diesel-powered cars. Gridlocked Italian cities like Rome and Milan may ban conventional cars altogether from their historic centers. In Tokyo, putting 30,000 natural-gas-powered taxis in the streets has already helped clean up the air. But most of all, carmakers have been whipped into action by California's Zero Emissions Mandate that requires ten percent of all cars sold in the state to be pollution-free by 2003. Mention green cars, and most people think of some battery-powered buggy that the average driver wouldn't be caught dead in. Electric cars have been around for decades and never caught on. Their problem: batteries aren't very powerful, so the car's speed, range and weight remain strictly limited. The typical result is Ford's new TH!NK, already on the market in Scandinavia and about to hit a few dozen American dealers as well. The TH!NK is a tiny two-seater with a grubby-looking plastic shell that can go about 50 miles between recharges, at a top speed of 50 mph. A full charge takes eight hours, but costs only 50 cents. With a sticker price of $15,000, the car will win a small market niche at best. If you're not willing to put up with the performance of a glorified golf cart, there are always standard cars powered by alternative fuels like propane, ethanol or liquified natural gas. Also around for decades, these cars have actually begun to catch on. There are 4 million cars in 2005-05-19T03:04:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-Gas-Prices-Are-Rising-Economics-of-Oil-26663.aspx The Parmenidean Paradox Of Motion Philosophical thought begins with the Milesians, where intellectual curiosity propelled thinkers like Anaximander and Heraclitus to attempt to explain the phenomena of the universe by means of specific physical elements. During the 6th century BC, Eleatics, like Parmenides and Zeno, had rejected physical phenomena and propounded metaphysical paradoxes that cut at the roots of belief in the very existence of the natural world. Parmenides uproots the theories of his predecessors by bearing to light the logical possibilities of any philosophical inquiry. He argues that that the only things about which we can inquire about must exist, else our search is fruitless. Through deductive reasoning, Parmenides proves that if something exists, then it cannot come to be or perish, change or move, nor be the subject to any imperfection. His proteges were left with an enormous problem: how could one reconcile Parmenides' rejection of change with the possibility of giving a rational account of the changing world of sense experience? By accepting only certain parts of his doctrine of being, his successors ultimately fail in their attempts to explain the changing universe in light of the Parmenidean paradox. How does Parmenides draw the conclusion that if something is, then it is unchanging? A more formal examination of his arguments regarding subjects of inquiry shows how he comes to the conclusion that all is one. The only ways of inquiry there are for thinking: the one, that it is and that it is not possible for it not to be, is the path of Persuasion (for it attends upon the Truth), the other, that it is not and that it is necessary for it not to be, this I point out to you to be a path completely unlearnable, for neither may you know that which is not (for it is not to be accomplished) nor may you declare it (Curd fr.2 ll.3-8, pg.45). Parmenides' subject of inquiry, as show in the fragment, either you must assume that your subject is or it is not. Careful consideration of the statement 'is not' shows that it is impossible to point out what does not exist, because it has no attributes or true predicate. Parmenides concludes that if something does not exist, then its non-existence cannot allow for it to come into being or perishing, because if it comes to be, then formally, 2005-05-16T05:39:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Parmenidean-Paradox-Of-Motion-26632.aspx Situational Influences on Purchasing Behavior Abstract There was an investigation in an attempt to understand what situational influences affect purchasing behaviors of consumers. Fifty subjects were asked to complete a survey in determining what attributes affect the decision to purchase a product. The effect of purchase was based on three different times of day: morning, afternoon, and evening. The effect of purchase was also based on whether subjects preferred caffeinated or non-caffeinated soda depending on the time of day. The subjects were asked to rate their preferences on a 5 point rating scale, one being agree and five being disagreed. The results indicated there was a relationship between caffeination and usage situation. Situational Influences on Purchasing Behavior Why do people shop? How do situational factors influence the decision to purchase certain items? The act of purchase is affected by many factors: mood, time pressures, or even a person's disposition towards shopping. Time can be seen, as an important factor because it often determines how much effort and search a consumer will put into making a purchasing decision. A person's mood can be affected by the degree of pleasure or arousal that is present in the store's atmosphere. Most people tend to base a purchase decision towards a specific occasion; or even the way an individual may feel at a specific point in time can also play a big role in what we feel like purchasing. These factors may cause one to decide more carefully on a purchase. Marketers like to use segmentation strategies when advertising to let buyers know their product will meet a specific need one may be looking towards. Overall, many consumers' purchase decisions are greatly affected by groups or social settings. The presence of other people around often has a positive influence on one's purchasing behavior. Consumers look for different product attributes depending on they intend to use their purchase. In an attempt to understand how situational influences affect purchasing behaviors, researchers looked at several different approaches to study consumer behavior. Monroe and Lee (1999) based their research on issues involving the buyers' processing of price information. Their assumption concerned how prices influence buyers' purchasing behaviors has been that a consumers already know the prices of products that 2005-05-16T05:09:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Situational-Influences-on-Purchasing-Behavior-26628.aspx Freud on Dreams Dreams have been objects of boundless fascination and mystery for humankind since the beginning of time. These nocturnal vivid images seem to arise from some source other than our ordinary conscious mind. They contain a mixture of elements from our own personal identity which we recognize as familiar along with a quality of `otherness' in the dream images that carries a sense of the strange and eerie. The bizarre and nonsensical characters and plots in dreams point to deeper meanings and contain rational and insightful comments on our waking situations and emotional experiences. The ancients thought that dreams were messages from the gods. The cornerstone of Sigmund Freud's infamous psychoanalysis is the interpretation of dreams. Freud called dream-interpretation the "via reggia," or the "royal road" to the unconscious, and it is his theory of dreams that has best stood the test of time over a period of more than seventy years (Many of Freud's other theories have been disputed in recent years). Freud reportedly admired Aristotle's assertion that dreaming is the activity of the mind during sleep (Fine, 1973). It was perhaps the use of the term activity that Freud most appreciated in this brief definition for, as his understanding of the dynamics of dreaming increased, so did the impression of ceaseless mental activity differing in quality from that of ordinary waking life (Fine, 1973). In fact, the quality of mental activity during sleep differed so radically from what we take to be the essence of mental functioning that Freud coined the term "Kingdom of the Illogical" to describe that realm of the human psyche. This technique of dream-interpretation allowed him to penetrate (Fine, 1973). We dream every single night whether it stays with us or not. It is a time when "our minds bring together material which is kept apart during out waking hours" (Anonymous, 1991). As Erik Craig said while we dream we entertain a wider range of human possibilities then when awake; the "open house" of dreaming is less guarded (Craig, 1992). Superficially, we are all convinced that we know just what a "dream" is. But the most cursory investigation into the dream's essence suggests that after describing it as a mental something which we have while sleeping," and perhaps, in accord with experiments currently being carried out in connection with the physiological accompaniments of dreaming, such as Rapid-Eye Movements (REM), the various stages and 2005-05-16T04:10:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dreams-in-Freudian-Theory-26618.aspx Childhood Depression Essay In recent years, we have heard of depression and the affects of the disorder, and what medications and theories help to prevent depression in adults. Many people are not aware that not only is depression diagnosed in adults, recently studies show that depression is diagnosed in adolescents. Not only adults become depressed. Children and teenagers also may have depression. Depression is defined as an illness when it persists. Childhood depression is one of the most overlooked disorders. Depression probably exists in about 5 percent of children in the general population. Children under stress, who experience loss, or who have, learning or conduct disorders are at a higher risk of depression. Studies show that depression is more likely to show up in boys than in girls. Depression in men and meal adolescents most of the time is over looked are misdiagnosed. Men for instance, have higher rates of drug abuse and violent behavior that do women or young female adolescents do, and some researchers belie that this behavior masks depression or anxiety (Canetto, 1992; Kessler al., 1994). Some Psychologists believe that the reason that young males are more likely to suffer from depression because of the stigmatism of being a male and being taught by adults that expressing there feelings are wrong. According to Carol Wade, Travis, Depression (Major Depression) is a disorder that is sever enough to disrupt a person's ordinary functioning (Physiology filth edition, 586). The diagnoses of depression might be the same for adults and adolescents, but the behavior of depressed children and teenagers differs from the behavior of depressed adults. Child and adolescent psychiatrists advise parents to be aware of signs in there youngsters such as persistent sadness, A major change in sleeping and eating patterns and increased activity or irritability. Depression is accompanied by physical changes as well. Frequent complaints of physical illness such as headaches and stomachaches A child who used to play often with friends may now spend most of the time alone and without interest. Things that were once fun now bring little joy to the depressed child. Then symptoms could trigger antisocial personality, a disorder characterized by antisocial behavior such as sealing, lying and sometimes violence: a lack of social emotions and impulsively. Children and adolescents and adolescents who are depressed may say they want to be dead or may talk about suicide. Depressed adolescents may 2005-05-15T01:51:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Childhood-Depression-Research-Paper-26602.aspx Aristotle and Rousseau formulate their accounts of human nature in Book I and the Origins of Inequality respectively. Each account analyzes the development of human nature through quite different teleological methods. These philosophers approach various topics quite differently due to their opposing viewpoints on what state humans are most happy with. Despite their different approaches both Aristotle and Rousseau arrive at equally convincing conclusions. The two distinguish humans from animals as well as describe humans as social beings to a certain extent. Human nature is very different for Aristotle and Rousseau. Both have opposing views in their examinations of what state is most natural for mankind. In book I Aristotle describes that, “The city-state is also prior in nature to the household and to each of us individually, since a whole is necessarily prior to its parts” (1253a15). Aristotle views this city-state as the most evolved and best state for humans. The analogy of the acorn and the oak tree is commonly used in this situation. Neither an acorn nor a sapling is the final product in the growth of an oak tree. Understanding human nature, for Aristotle, is study of the pinnacle of human achievement. To Aristotle the polis is this pinnacle because we strive for something beyond family structure. In other words, Aristotle believes that what is naturally is not chronologically first. Rousseau’s teleological analysis of human nature is seemingly in direct conflict with Aristotle’s claim that, “Anyone who cannot form a community with others…he is either a beast or a god” (1253a25). Rousseau’s account would appear beastly to Aristotle, but Rousseau describes the original state of man as, “nothing is so gentle as man in his primitive state…” (64). We create extensive political systems and feel as if we escape the harms of nature through the system. Rousseau would argue that creating a political body opens us up for a whole new set of harms. He would in fact claim that these harms are on a much greater scale because no war or oppression would occur without such a system. Aristotle is much more hesitant. He puts no faith in pure human nature without some greater power to rule. Rousseau is quick to further depict this state as, “maintaining a middle position between the indolence of 2005-05-14T17:04:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Human-Nature-in-the-Accounts-of-Aristotle-and-Rousseau-26598.aspx Without classical economists such as Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, and David Ricardo, modern economic theory would not be the same. Although differences of opinion were numerous among the classical economists in the time span between Smith’s Wealth of Nations (1776) and Ricardo’s Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817), they all mainly agreed on major principles. All believed in private property, free markets, and, in Smith’s words, “The individual pursuit of private gain to increase the public good.” They shared Smith’s strong suspicion of government and his enthusiastic confidence in the power of self-interest represented by his famous “invisible hand,” which portrayed public benefit with personal quest of private gain. From Ricardo, economics derived the notion of diminishing returns, which held that as more labor and capital were applied to land, yields after a certain and not very advanced stage in the progress of agriculture steadily diminished. The central thesis of The Wealth of Nations is that capital is best employed for the production and distribution of wealth under conditions of governmental noninterference, or laissez-faire, and free trade. In Smith’s view, the production and exchange of goods can be stimulated, and a rise in the general standard of living attained, only through the efficient operations of private industrial and commercial entrepreneurs acting with a minimum of regulation and control by the governments. To explain this concept of government maintaining laissez-faire attitude toward the commercial endeavors, Smith proclaimed the principle of the “invisible hand”: Every individual in pursuing his or her own good is led, as if by an invisible hand, to achieve the best good for all. Therefore, any interference with free competition by government is almost certain to be harmful. Although this view has undergone considerable modification by economists in the light of historical developments since Smith’s time, many sections of The Wealth of Nations, notably those relating to the sources of income and the nature of capital, have continued to form the basis of study in the field of political economy. The Wealth of Nations has also served as a guide to the formulation of governmental economic policies. Malthus, on the other hand, in his book An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), set a tone of dreariness. Malthus’ main contribution to economics was his theory that a population tends to increase faster than the supply of food available for its needs. This theory contradicted the belief prevailing in 2005-05-06T17:20:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classical-Economists-and-Their-Contributions-26585.aspx Aging and Intelligence Introduction There are many myths regarding seniors and their intelligence. Supposedly, the old can't do their work as well as the young, and neither can they learn new things (Kart & Kinney, 2001). There are many facts that point to the idea of gerontophobia; "a fear of and negative attitude toward the aged" (Kart & Kinney, 2001). There are general disapproval of the old and job discrimination as a result ("Social", 1984). It is essential, especially at this point where the population of the elderly (65+ of age) is hitting a peak of over 35 million and growing rapidly (Kart & Kinney, 2001), to quickly debunk these myths and start facing the facts of aging and intelligence. Intelligence As more and more people became aware that the generally observed intellectual debilitation with age was not inevitable, gerontologists have been trying to designate a clear definition to the word "intelligence" so as to be able to clearly measure and study intelligence in association with aging. Spearman's G factor, Thurston's PMA, and Cattel's fluid mechanics vs. crystallized pragmatics theories are three prominent theories which have shaped the field of gerontology and aging. Spearman's G factor Spearman's discovery of the "g factor," now somewhat obsolete, was the basis for any study of intelligence in the early 1900's. Spearman, through numerous tests and gathering empirical data, observed a correlation between each person's various test results which seemed to be able to determine the intellectual level of the person: he dubbed the reason for the correlation, an unknown factor, the "g factor" (Jansen, 1999). Spearman credited every human's intelligence with his/her unique g factor. However, as later experiments proved more than one factor was responsible for a person's intelligence, he proposed the idea of "groupfactors", where factors other then g were attributed to intelligence (Jansen, 1999). Spearman's theory on intelligence was based mostly on the biological and physical structure of the "human engine"; the brain. He hoped for a discovery which would link his g factor to specific physical properties of the brain (Jansen, 1999), which would then enable him to explain the apparent intellectual debilitation in the elderly with concrete factors such as "brain size, brain evoked potentials, nerve conduction velocity, and the brain's glucose metabolic rate during cognitive activity" (Jansen, 1999). Thurston's Primary Mental AbilitiesInnumerable numbers of scientific research on intelligence was performed with Spearman's g factor as the basis. In 1938, Thurston, unwilling 2005-04-26T17:59:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aging-and-Intelligence-26573.aspx The Effects of Representations of Spaces How do representations of space affect our relationship to a place? To answer this question, we should perhaps ask ourselves an equally important question: how can we probe nature to learn about it without changing it. By analyzing this question using six main representational themes – cartographic, political, Cartesian perspectivalism, optical, transcendental, and biological – we will answer the original question. I believe that there are no representations of space that would not in some way affect our relationship to a place. Likewise, there are no representations of space that do not alter perspectives of everything and everyone around us. Human psychology and its biological representation of space force us to interact with nature and influence our relationship to places. Before we begin, we must be clear on the definition of our terms. A space in this context is any real or imaginary area with real or artificial boundaries. The space represents a place, which is a tangible entity in reality. There are several ways in which spaces can represent places. We will analyze the representations with regards to cartographic, Cartesian perspectivalism, political, transcendental, and biological points of view. Cartography, the study of maps and surveying, is an ancient science and is mostly a thing of the past. At one time cartographers possessed much power and were held in high esteem. Kings and lords would patronize cartographers to draw out maps of their lands. Due to benefaction, cartographers would often embellish the area of the land on the map to favor the patron. These incidences led to a variety of political silencing, omitting, and highlighting in maps. Eventually because of human nature, what started out as a scientific study became a corrupt and political practice as the people in charge of making and distributing maps hold all the power. J.B. Harley takes note of this phenomenon in his “Maps, knowledge, and power”: The map served as a graphic inventory, a codification of information about ownership, tenancy, rentable values, cropping practice, and agricultural potential, enabling capitalist landowners to see their estates as a whole and better to control them. (285) As a written document, maps contain a certain authenticity and demand reverence; those who hold the maps also hold the power because land that is claimed on paper is considered legitimate. 2005-04-24T08:16:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Representations-of-Spaces,-Psych-and-Bio-26560.aspx A thesis-driven analysis on “Identical Twins Reared Apart” In the essay, “Identical Twins Reared Apart”, Constance Holden states of how the identical twins reared apart showed more similarities than the differences. She exemplifies many cases and people’s work to show the similarities and some differences of the twins reared apart. She also argues that many experiments show the genetic affects more on the similarity of the twins than the heredity does. However, towards to the end of the text, she discusses about the lack of the evidence which cannot prove the hypothesis that many scientists made; genetic over heredity on the similarity of identical twins reared apart. Holden ends the essay by giving out a part of her point with the quote of James Shields. Her main point is that according to many evidences and cases which the psychologist Bouchard mainly worked on at the University of Minnesota, it is credible that gene has more affect on the similarity of the identical twins reared apart than the environment, but there aren’t enough evidences to prove it. Her essay doesn’t effectively persuade the readers to her point because there are too many distractions which makes her essay confusing and loses her point. Holden uses many scientific words which make the essay very formal and makes the readers to lose interest on her point. Uses of the many scientific words make the essay sounds more like lab report than an article on the popular science magazine. For example, defining the meaning of the easy words to hard scientific terms is distracting. She defines “identical” to “monozygotic” and “fraternal” to “dizygotic.” (377) Also, Holden uses many medical terms which reader might not familiar with such as “hemorrhoids” and “idiosyncrasies galore.” (379) Holden has very serious tone of the essay than humorous because it is based on actual facts and scientific experiments. However, she uses very informal sentence all the sudden at the middle of factual explanations. The purpose of her changing tone was to draw out readers interested attention which it actually worked in reverse. For example, after she was explaining of all different kinds of the tests that the experimenters gave out to twins she asks question, “And the upshot of all this probing?” (378) This question loses the reader and make the context awkward because it is 2005-04-24T08:11:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-on-Identical-Twins-Reared-Apart-26558.aspx Anthropology 2- EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT STATION 1: Fossil 1 displays characteristics of Australopithecus aethiopicus of West Lake Turkana, Kenya. This skull shows the obvious characteristics of a very sharp sagittal crest along the top of the skull, a very wide skull in the cheek area, and an extremely prognathic lower skull and jaw area. The cranial capacity also appears to be smaller, suggesting that it is of the earlier hominids. Fossil 2 shows eyebrow ridges and a slight sagittal crest consistent with Homo erectus. The most defining characteristic, however, is the presence of nuchal torus, a projection of bone at the back of the skull where muscles are attached to hold the head up, suggesting a consistently bipedal creature. Fossil 3 is a small skull showing no sagittal crest or nuchal torus. There are eyebrow ridges apparent and the face is slightly prognathic. The skull most closely resembles the skull like that of the Taung child (Jurmain 203). The skull of the Taung child, a variety known as the “gracile” australopithecine, or A. africanus, exhibits smaller brain capacity, accounting for the smaller skull. The fourth fossil has a small skull be conveys the characteristics of Homo sapien, therefore may be a child. At the top of the skull, the bone has not fully come together, consistent with children, and very young Homo sapien. The teeth are very small but are shovel-shaped like modern Homo’s teeth, adapted to tear and chew softer foods than those eaten by earlier Homo and other hominids. The skull shows little to no prognathism consistent with humans. STATION 2: Fossil 1 at this station showed postorbital constriction, excess bone behind the eyebrows protecting the eyes. The skull showed slight prognathism, which is the protrusion of the jaw and lower skull. I predicted that the skull was Homo erectus; however, I noted that the African form, Homo ergaster, characteristically shows postorbital constriction whereas Homo erectus does not. Fossil 2 showed less prognathism, a skull more closely resembling modern Homo. However, the brow ridges present were more pronounced that in modern Homo. The small shovel-shaped teeth also are representative of an early Homo sapien because they ate more cooked vegetation and meat, their teeth were used less for the grinding of hard, brittle vegetation. The fossil most closely displays the characteristics of Cro-Magnon, or Homo sapiens sapiens (Jurmain 281). STATION 3: The first mandible is very robust and shows extreme molarization, 2005-04-24T07:55:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anthropology-Fossil-Determination,-Explanation,-and-Analysis-26552.aspx The Chinese Mentality and Economical Results Adam Smith stated that a free market would be able to run freely even if there is no government intervention, because the market will regulate itself. This will happen because of competition among many markets and the mentality of people in general. Adam Smith stated that this principle was called The Invisible Hand. A major problem with the economic development of China was the consistent interference of the Chinese government. The reasons behind why the government kept continuously involving itself was because of the cultural, and religious preconditions of the country. The mindset and behavior of the Chinese population contributed heavily to the poor economic outcome of the nation. China’s culture prevented the nation from following Adam Smith’s principal, which in turn caused the Great Divergence from Europe. The Chinese government ruled the country through the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven was a guideline through which the citizens viewed the government rulers. This mandate was based on four principles which stated, that the right to rule was granted by heaven, that there was only one ruler, the right that the ruler had to reign was based on his personal virtue, and that the right to rule was not limited to only one particular dynasty. This Mandate of Heaven gave the ruler a high ranking statues and also religious significance. The ruler had supreme power, but more importantly, the ruler gained power quickly because every person believed that he had the authority granted from heaven. This reason alone allowed the people to blindly follow his command without question because of their faith in the system. Their behavior was portrayed the cultural aspect of China, which contributed to the downfall in their economic situation. “Ancient Chinese, as represented by their monarch claimed to hold a Mandate of Heaven according to which they had a valid claim to preside over everyone else by virtue of their unequivocal political, cultural, and moral authority. That principal remained intact even under an alien ruler; it was moral integrity and benevolent leadership rather than ethnic origins that were important.” (Waley-Cohen, 13-14) The government had supreme control over the regulations of the country, and was also supported by the people. A major economic problem with this was that it was highly possible for the government to favor certain enterprises over others. Owners would be inevitably be involved in government affairs, and 2005-04-20T05:05:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Chinese-Mentality-and-Economical-Results-26530.aspx <b>Bush Endeavors to Help the American Economy</b> The votes are in and the people of the United States have spoken; President George W. Bush was reelected for his second term in office. In his first term he was concerned with the nation’s economic growth and this concern remains consistent, if not stronger for his economic plans during his second term. Bush wants the economy to grow and create jobs by proposing tax cuts that will stay and help bring money back to America’s economy. His aspirations for his new term will be effective because the economy is reviving with growth from his last term. Bush has helped the economy in the past four years, and there is no doubt that he will be able to continue to do so. He promised to build on the accomplishments of his first term by building a safer world and creating more hope for America for our workers, families, and children. Not only is Bush promoting tax cuts, he will not be satisfied until each and every American whom wants a job will be able to find one. With the job market growing, Bush wants businesses to grow too. Bush would like to continue economic recovery into prosperity in which the people will feel the effects of it now. By learning about Bush’s proposed economic plans, one can see how his plans can be related to the subject of macroeconomics. A rising concern is America’s debt. Bush came into presidency at a rough time. The September 11th attack put the economy in a huge deficit. Millions of dollars went into the necessary war with Iraq and the economy will be paying for it now and in the years to come. Bush wants to rebuild the economy. Money is being cut from our education, recently the California school systems, to pay for the war. Bush believes he must help reconstruct the economy and not allow the “invisible hand” in the economy by imposing new taxes. The economy was at one of its lowest points because of the war, but Bush’s new proposal to help the economy recover will help rebuild our economy. Bush wants to emancipate America from the income tax and propose the national sales tax. A national sales tax would be very beneficial and help the economy now. 2005-04-20T04:44:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Bush-Hopes-to-Help-Stimulate-American-Economy-26524.aspx Criminal Rehabilitation Prison inmates, are some of the most "maladjusted" people in society. Most of the inmates have had too little discipline or too much, come from broken homes, and have no self-esteem. They are very insecure and are "at war with themselves as well as with society" (Szumski 20). Most inmates did not learn moral values or learn to follow everyday norms. Also, when most lawbreakers are labeled criminals they enter the phase of secondary deviance. They will admit they are criminals or believe it when they enter the phase of secondary deviance (Doob 171). Next, some believe that if we want to rehabilitate criminals we must do more than just send them to prison. For instance, we could give them a chance to acquire job skills; which will improve the chances that inmates will become productive citizens upon release. The programs must aim to change those who want to change. Those who are taught to produce useful goods and to be productive are "likely to develop the self-esteem essential to a normal, integrated personality" (Szumski 21). This kind of program would provide skills and habits and "replace the sense of hopelessness" that many inmates have (Szumski 21). Moreover, another technique used to rehabilitate criminals is counseling. There is two types of counseling in general, individual and group counseling. Individual counseling is much more costly than group counseling. The aim of group counseling is to develop positive peer pressure that will influence its members. One idea in many sociology text is that group problem-solving has definite advantages over individual problem-solving. The idea is that a wider variety of solutions can be derived by drawing from the experience of several people with different backgrounds. Also one individuals problem might have already been solved by another group member and can be suggested. Often if a peer proposes a solution it carries more weight than if the counselor were to suggest it (Bennett 20-24). Further, in sociology, one of the major theories of delinquency is differential association (Cressey 1955). This means some people learned their ways from "undesirable" people who they were forced to be in association with and that this association "warps" their thinking and social attitudes. "Group counseling, group interaction, and other kinds of group activities can provide a corrective, positive experience that might help to offset the earlier delinquent association" (Bennett 25). However, it is said that 2005-04-14T04:32:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Criminal-Rehabilitation-Research-Paper-26497.aspx The words "ego" and "id" are Greek, and we have carried them into the English language and then nominalized. By doing this our consciousness solidifies them as things within our brains. The word "ego" means "I" or "self". The word "id" means "non-I" or "non-self", or "it." We dont say "the I" when we refer to ourselves. But so often we say "the ego" as if to refer to a specific part or thing of our minds. The other confusion that adds to nominalization is then believing the rest of the book is about things in space. Yet, Freud specifically says, "The state of things which we have been describing can be represented diagrammatically, though it must be remarked that the form chosen has no pretensions to any special applicability, but is mere intended to serve for purposes of exposition (p. 18)." What Freud is saying is that in order to communicate clearly what is happening in ones psyche, or mind, there needs to be a working model of the psyche. That is to say, a model meaning a diagram with its parts that do not act as the psyche itself (or of reality), but shows what the psyche consists of. He does this by discerning that which is "descriptive," and that which is "dynamic." The descriptive only describes through language or imaginative use, while dynamic is more at the process that actually occurs. Now the model Freud eventually used as a diagram is not a very good model. In fact it is a bit unwieldy and clumsy and in the end served little purpose (later in he updated the model in 'New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis', 1933). Because Freud is the first to devise the model, it is primitive and modifications would be neccessary. Actually Freud seemed to have modeled what looks to be an ill-defined organ giving way to the idea that it functions like a heart would. While reading the book, I chose not to use the model he drew, but rather found it useful to create my own based on his descriptions of where things are in relation to each other. This does not mean I believe the model is a literal drawing of my mind or anyone elses, but rather a means in which we understand how one part of the psyche works with another. Similarly is Neil Bohr's model of the atom. He did not 2005-03-29T01:30:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Ego-and-the-Id,-by-Sigmund-Freud-Discussion-26441.aspx "Children reared by lesbian couples are just as well-adjusted as kids of heterosexual couples." That was the lead line in a story posted by the Associated Press on April 3, 1997. My question upon reading this headline is, why is this news? Why is it so hard for people to believe that lesbian couples can raise happy, healthy kids? Not one study, but three, were done to prove this rather obvious finding. Not only did the lesbians in these studies raise normal kids, a researcher at the University of Virginia says you can't tell them apart using standard psychological tests. Normal kids, raised in lesbian homes, wow. To the researchers I say, thanks for proving the painfully obvious. Those who think children will turn out sick and twisted living in lesbian homes need to visit a few. I can understand the stereotype. Maybe they think we'll constantly be having sex in front of the kid, or telling them how evil men are. Well, anyone who has been married awhile knows sex is the first thing to go, and as for the evil factor of men (or people in general) that's something children tend to pick up on their own without help from parents. Case in point: I told my oldest sister that my partner and I were planning on having a child soon. She said, "I wouldn't raise a child in that environment." Well, what environment is that? One where the child is carefully planned for, wanted, loved and provided for by two committed and caring adults? She's right!! How stupid could we have been. When there are so many children out there living with single parents, or in some socially-acceptable heterosexual households that are filled with psychological and physical abuse, how could we have been so selfish as to think we could raise a child better than (or at least as well as) heterosexuals? "You know what I mean," she snapped. No, I honestly don't know what she means. People often believe being raised in a home full of gay people will make you turn gay. Well, I for one, was raised in a home full of heterosexuals and somehow it didn't rub off on me. Lord knows they tried to make me straight, but you can't mess with what God gave you. If a lesbian's child is heterosexual, nothing the lesbian mother does will make them gay. Another 2005-03-29T01:22:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Are-Children-Raised-by-Lesbian-Couples-quot-Normal-quot-26436.aspx Does entertainment influence society's attitude towards violent behavior? In order to fully answer this question we must first understand what violence is. Violence is the use of one's powers to inflict mental or physical injury upon another, examples of this would be rape or murder. Violence in entertainment reaches the public by way of television, movies, plays, and novels. Through the course of this essay it will be proven that violence in entertainment is a major factor in the escalation of violence in society, once this is proven we will take all of the evidence that has been shown throughout this paper and come to a conclusion as to whether or not violence in entertainment is justified and whether or not it should be censored. Television with its far reaching influence spreads across the globe. Its most important role is that of reporting the news and maintaining communication between people around the world. Television's most influential, yet most serious aspect is its shows for entertainment. Violent children's shows like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and adult shows like NYPD Blue and Homicide almost always fail to show human beings being able to resolve their differences in a non-violent manner, instead they show a reckless attitude that promotes violent action first with reflection on the consequences later. In one episode of NYPD Blue three people were murdered in the span of an hour. "Contemporary television creates a seemingly insatiable appetite for amusement of all kinds without regard for social or moral benefits" (Schultze 41). Findings over the past twenty years by three Surgeon Generals, the Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence, the American Medical Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other medical authorities indicate that televised violence is harmful to all of us, but particularly to the mental health of children (Medved 70-71). In 1989 the results of a five year study by the American Psychological Association indicated that the average child has witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 other acts of violence on television by the time he or she has completed sixth grade. In further studies it was determined that by the time that same child graduates from high school he or she will have spent 22,000 hours watching television, twice as many hours as he or she has spent in school (Bruno 124). In a 2005-03-29T01:17:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Does-Entertainment-Influence-Attitudes-Towards-Violence-26433.aspx Economies Of Cuba And Puerto Rico 16th - 18th Century The economies of Cuba and Puerto Rico are very similar during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. As Spain colonized these two islands in the 16th century under the idea that gold was abundant. Thus in turn the islands became a safe port for Spain and her vessels. It also set out to be a huge migration from the Spain to the islands, because everyone was set to search for gold. . This turned out to be short lived as the mining of gold peaked in 1517 till 1819. By Spain using Cuba and Puerto Rico for mining gold they needed slave laborers as the local Indians. The Indians soon became unsatisfied with their new conditions of living, they became hostile and many not able to cope with being slaves committed suicide and genocide. By 1540 - 1550 silver was discovered in Mexico and Peru. As Spain found its' new source of income in Mexico and Peru, it left Cuba and Puerto Rico to literally fend for themselves. By the 1590's their economy began to prosper by cattle breeding and farming as this lead to new jobs on the islands. This new slow and uneven growth led supplies to be more expensive. By the 17th century the cabildos began to govern migration, basically they stopped migration. The Spanish government implemented regulation and restrictions, which in demand increased prices and taxes. As a result, many began to use the black market in order to purchase contraband. At this time agriculture also developed and farming expanded with sugar, coffee and tobacco crops. These new crops also served to encourage new settlements. No longer a remote military outpost, food shortages and inflated prices worsened. Supplies did not increase and money was not sent from Spain. The cost of goods did not decline but contraband increased. In the 18th Century, the English occupy Cuba in 1762 for 10 months, as it helped Cuba to see that they could be with better leadership and if they get the attention they needed. This occupation lead to free trade with England and the American Colonies, in turn it abolished trade tax. Vendors from England arrived offering Cuba consumer goods and industrial items. The ports were open to maritime traffic, which increased markets and increased demands. The new markets also increased prices and stimulated sugar and tobacco production in 2005-02-28T02:45:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economies-Of-Cuba-And-Puerto-Rico-16th-18th-Century-26346.aspx <b>How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems</b> <b>Introduction</b> The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how overpopulation causes social problems. To do so you must take many things into consideration, such as different views of racial problems and conflicting definitions of a social problem. Social problems can be defined in many different ways. They effect everyone and some of us encounter problems everyday as a result of our race, religion, gender, or low income. Others experience problems from technological change or declining neighborhoods, others are affected directly by crime and violence in their own neighborhood, and sometimes definitions of social problems are changed by society because of changes around you. Finally in order to achieve the purpose of this which is to examine and discuss different issues and situations that cause social problems such as poverty. Overpopulation and social problems go hand and hand in today's society and there are many reasons and factors as to why these problems exist. Factors that lead to overpopulation that causes social problems are the increase in the number of single mothers in poor neighborhoods opposed to the decline in birth rates in the more efficient parts of the country, how the death rate is at a steady decline because of medical advances in rich and poor countries, the effects immigrants have on an environment and the population growth that occurs, the influence parents leave on children, and what is being done to help prevent the spread of AIDS because this is a deadly disease which is lowering our population but causing many social problems. <b>Elements of a Social Problem</b> There are also elements that make up a social problem. One of these elements is that "they cause physical or mental damage to individuals or society" (Carter p16) which means that sometimes people may permanently suffer before any action is taken to solve the problem because everybody thought it was not that big of a deal until sometimes permanent or short term damage has occurred. Another element is "they offend the values or standards of some powerful segment of society" (Carter p16) which means no matter what you do someone will always take offense against your actions because everyone has different views and values and what is important to some may not be to others. Another element is that "they persist for an extended period of time"(Carter p16) and everyone can 2005-02-28T02:38:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Overpopulation-Causes-Social-Problems-26343.aspx The Deviant Nature of Obesity Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind, Americans constantly look around themselves determining their weight status as well as that of those around them. While some Americans do fit the healthy category, others enter the underweight, overweight, and even obese categories, all of which can be unhealthy. Obesity can be termed deviant for a variety of reasons. Not only is it unhealthy, but it is also a widely unaccepted behavior in US society. The obese are labeled "...obscene, lazy, slothful, and gluttonous" (Adler and Adler 2000). People are ostracized, often never to regain full societal acceptance. According to Hammarlund et al (1998) prevention is necessary to decrease prevalence of obesity because few adults who actually do lose weight are able to keep it off. Obesity is attributable to many factors, nature and nurture included. Some individuals are inclined to blame the obese individual for his or her health status. Still others blame the heredity and/or ethnicity of the person. Many place the blame on more environmental sources. These might include, but are not limited to, education level, peer group, and scocio-economic factors. The American Medical Association identifies genetic, environmental, and psychological influences on obesity (Hwang 1999). According to the American Medical Association, being obese means that 30% of your ideal body weight is constituted by fat. As a general idea, the American Dietetic Association provides these thresholds for obese weight. Certain stipulations, such as muscle content and build would alter the given thresholds. In Feet and Inches In Pounds 5' 153 5'3 169 5'6 186 5'9 203 6' 221 6'3 240 Obesity occurs when a person has a greater caloric intake than he or she burns during that day (Hwang 1999). David F. Williamson of The New England Journal of Medicine (1999) states that doctors need to encourage greater weight loss in obese patients due to the fact "...that obese people are twice as likely to die from any cause as people of normal weight." This creates a greater susceptibility to a variety of health problems including Heart Disease and Stroke, Type II Diabetes, Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes, Cancer, Sleep Apnea, Osteoarthritis, and Gallbladder Disease (Hwang 1999). Allison et al claim that 2005-02-28T02:36:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Deviant-Nature-of-Obesity-26342.aspx Bipolar Disorder The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. Bipolar disorder or as the alternate names, manic depressive illness or affective bipolar disorder can be classified as a mood disorder characterized by mood swings from manis (exaggerated feeing of well-being) to depression. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the abundance of people suffering from the it, we are still waiting for definite explanations for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its' victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. It is also believed that the lithium level is what causes these mood swings. Because bipolar disorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in the quest for explanations of its causes and treatment. A smorgasborg of symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes characterized by affective disorders. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can become feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Either the manic or the depressive episodes can predominate and produce few mood swings or the patters of mood swings my be cyclic. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include anhedonia, disturbances in sleep and appetite, psycomoter retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty thinking, indecision, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Some of the other symptoms that may occur in the depressive stage can be also fatigue that can last anywhere from weeks to months and a person may not be aware of why this is actually happening. Daytime sleepiness can also occur making it hard for a person with this illness to hold down any sort of a job for a length of time. Unintentional weightloss can make the doctor go in a different direction in this making it difficult for them in diagnosis because of all the possible symptoms that a person may exhibit. A person may also have some memory loss episodes or episodes of amnesia, going blank for a periods of time. They may not even be aware that they 2005-02-28T02:00:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bipolar-Disorder-26339.aspx Eating Disorders Eating disorders are sweeping this country and are rampant on junior high, high school, and college campuses. These disorders are often referred to as the Deadly Diet, but are often known by their more popular names: anorexia or bulimia. They affect more than 20% of females between the age of thirteen and forty. It is very rare for a young female not to know of someone with an eating disorder. Statistics show that at least one in five young women have a serious problem with eating and weight (Bruch, 25). The Deadly Diet appears to be a mostly female problem. Eating disorders are most common in the middle to upper middle class families. Currently, the incidence is much lower in females from the "blue collar" families. The Deadly Diet can begin anywhere from the ages of ten to thirty. The peak age for the beginning of the Deadly Diet in females is eleven to fifteen; the peak for males is between fifteen and eighteen (Bauer, 89). Most of the information on the Deadly Diet says that it is a problem of teenage girls, but as clinics have found, most of the people who come to get therapy are in their twenties and thirties. This may be because younger people are less likely to seek professional help. Most often it is the parent who brings the patient for help. Adults who have left home and had to deal with managing their lives usually tend to realize more clearly the need to seek help and make changes. Everywhere one looks today, one will notice that our culture places a very high value on women being thin. Many will argue that today's fashion models have "filled out" compared to the times past; however the evidence of this is really hard to see. Our society admires men for what they accomplish and what they achieve. Women are usually evaluated by and accepted for how they look, regardless of what they do. A woman can be incredibly successful and still find that her beauty or lack of it will have more to do with her acceptance than what she is able to accomplish. "From the time they are tiny children, most females are taught that beauty is the supreme objective in life" (Claude-Pierre, p18). The peer pressure 2005-02-28T01:06:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Eating-Disorder-Research-Paper-26338.aspx Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are different learning methods. The two methods have the word conditioning in common. What is conditioning? Conditioning is the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli. Both classical and operant conditioning are basic forms of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus. Manipulating reflexes does this. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the likelihood of a behavior is increased or decreased by the use of reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning deals with more cognitive thought process. These two forms of learning have similarities and differences. Their similarities are that they both produce basic phenomena. One such phenomenon is acquisition. Both types of conditioning result in the inheritance of a behavior. One of the most famous of experiments that illustrates classical conditioning is Pavlov's Dogs. In this experiment, Pavlov sat behind a one-way mirror and controlled the presentation of a bell. The bell was the conditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus was an originally neutral stimulus that could eventually produce a desired response when presented alone. Directly after the ringing of the bell, Pavlov gave the dog food. The food was the unconditioned stimulus. This means that the food caused an uncontrollable response whenever it was presented alone. That response would be the salivation of the dog. A tube that was in the dog's mouth then measured the saliva. When the unconditioned stimulus (US) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS), it eventually resulted in a conditioned response. Extinction results if there is a decrease in frequency or strength of a learned response due to the failure to continue to pair the US and the CS. Extinction can also occur in operant conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is reinforcement. Reinforcement is when a stimulus is presented that increases the probability that the preceding response will recur in the future. If reinforcement is withheld, extinction will occur in operant conditioning. Another factor that is involved in conditioning is spontaneous recovery. That is the reappearance of an extinguished response after the passage of time, without further training. If Pavlov's dogs did not hear the bell for a few years, and if when they heard it later they drooled, it would be an example of spontaneous recovery. Something similar occurs with operant conditioning. If an animal 2005-02-23T09:47:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classical-versus-Operant-Conditioning-26335.aspx Psychologist A psychologist is a person who counsels and works to help understand people's problems. Therefore, to understand this career, one must know the definition/duties, education/training, working conditions, salary, and job outlook in order to be successful. As a result of studying the characteristics of this career, one will become more qualified. To emphasize, one must be familiar with the duties and definition of a psychologist. Psychology is the way people think and behave. The field of psychology has a number of subdisciplines all pertaining to the study of the different levels and contexts of human thought and behavior. Psychologists in the military conduct experiments to determine the best equipment design work procedures, and training course context. One must conduct research on human behavior. Psychologists also treat people with mental problems. Psychological research for the national defense can show how to improve military training, job assignment, and equipment design. One must use their knowledge to a broad range of studies. A person who promotes good health through health maintenance counseling programs is referred to as a health psychologist. One who studies the relation between the brain and behavior are called Neuropsychologists. Psychologists who deal with the special problems forced by the elderly are called Geropsychologists. Experimental psychologists study the brain study the basic sensory mechanisms: vision, taste, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. One that is concerned with the neurological and physiological events that underlie human thought and action are called Physiological Psychologist. Psychological psychologists are sometimes concerned with mapping the functions of the brain. These are just some subdisciplines. In order to be a psychologist, one must have an education. To prepare to be a psychologist one should take advanced placement courses. "School psychologist must hold at least a master's degree." Psychologists who want to specialize in clinical services must complete two years of supervised post-doctoral experience and one must complete one year of internship. "Licensed psychologist must have a doctorate in psychology from an accredited university with training in the areas of intended practice." Psychologists have many different work conditions. Psychologists who are in the military are mostly in a military hospital. One who works in schools may have offices in the school headquarters. People who work in colleges have an office on campus. Some psychologists are self-employed, but most work as clinical 2005-02-23T08:46:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychologist-Career-Profile-26325.aspx Comparing Freud And Skinner Both classical conditioning and psychodynamic theory have played a pivotal role in the development of social psychology. For nearly all of the past century they have shaped and influenced the way psychologists, philosophers and ordinary people have felt about the nature of the human psyche. It is because of this that we continue to use those theories today to predict the outcome of certain situations. In our particular case we have a situation where one hundred women have been asked to rate the degree to which they agree or disagree with a certain a statement when associated with a picture of an old man or of a young man. Separately, there is the question of their preferences for being supplied few or many facts. It is in such cases that both theories can be used to predict what their opinions will be. Classical Conditioning, or behaviorism, began with John Watson and continued with B.F. Skinner. It ultimately became a well known but widely discredited theory based on the hypothesis that human behavior can be explained entirely in terms of reflexes, stimulus-response associations, and the effects of reinforcers. More specifically, it contends that mental states can be analyzed through behavior or through a predictable way of acting, and that the greater the number of presentations of stimuli there are, the greater the produced response is. In our particular case, those aspects will help to predict the influence on the women's ultimate response both to the pictures of the old and young man and to the number of facts supplied them. Psychodynamic theory, due largely to Sigmund Freud has had a lasting effect on the school of psychology. Unlike Behaviorism, it is still thought to have significant validity. Freud constructed a personality theory made up of three primary components. They are known as the id, ego, and superego. The most primitive of the three is the id. Its basis is the pleasure principle with its prime outlook on life being only a search for passion and personal satisfaction. On the next level comes the ego. It represents reason and common sense, more commonly known as the reality principle. On the highest level is the superego. It is motivated only by its drive for morality. Consequently it becomes the repressive and guiltful component as it attempts to internalize the morals it strives 2005-02-23T08:43:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-between-Freud-And-Skinner-26323.aspx Sleep Disorders Child Sleep Disorders: Is Your Child at Risk? Recent research has proven that children just are not getting the sleep they need these days. Kids today seem to be doing poorer in school and have less attention spans. Most parents are not aware of a common problem effecting thousands of children in this country: sleep disorders. Parents often fail to follow there children's sleeping patterns which can result in some serious side effects if that child has a sleep disorder. A study done at Tulane University in New Orleans studied about 300 first graders that preformed poorly in school. They found that 18 per cent showed signs of a sleeping problem. The percentage of children with bad grades found to have sleeping problems was six to nine times higher than found in a previous study done over all of the childhood population. (The Toronto Star). Most people believe that sleep disorders only affect adults but in reality 30% of all children have some sort of sleep disorder. (Burcum). Sleep disorders are defined as a group of syndromes characterized by disturbance in the patient's amount of sleep, quality or timing of sleep, or in behaviors or physiological conditions associated with sleep. To qualify for a diagnosis of sleep disorder, the condition must be a persistent problem, cause the patient significant emotional distress, and interfere with his or her social or occupational functioning. (Frey p265). Some sleep disorders can effect children of all ages. The sleep disorder that children are subject to often depends on their age and development. Sleep disorders change most frequent in the middle-school years. Children often experience more anxiety at this time. (Burcum). The source of the certain sleep disorder cannot normally be pin pointed in every case. Many factors come in to play when dealing with the cause of a sleep disruption. Parental characteristics, personality, psychosocial influences, education, parenting skills, stress, trauma, school, culture and personal health can all bring about sleeping disorders in young to middle-aged children. Some parents find that there children sleep to much, while others don't sleep enough. Some fall asleep at the wrong times while others cant ever even get to sleep. There are about 100 different sleep disorders being researched currently. Although sleep is a basic behavior in animals 2005-02-21T04:36:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Child-Sleep-Disorders-Is-Your-Child-at-Risk-26296.aspx Americans Aren't Saving Enough If you think you've had to meet some tough challengers in your time, consider the historic sales call made by Robert Fulton, the famous American who manufactured the world's first commercially successful steamboat. His meeting was not with the average, easy-going small businessman or head-of-house-hold trying to keep his head above water. His prospective client was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was busy trying to blast all the world's ships out of the water to become ruler of all Europe. Fulton made what he felt was a very effective presentation. Napoleon turned on him and screamed, "What, sir? Would you have me make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you excuse me. I have not time to listen to such nonsense." Fortunately, Mr. Fulton did make other sales calls. He produced the first money-making steamship between New York and Albany and changed the entire course of world history. And world history keeps on changing. Surely it was sheer coincidence that Adam Smith's, The Wealth of Nations, was published in 1776, the year of the birth of the United States. His book proposed open competition, a free marketplace and the creation of wealth for the hardworking individual. That was some year, 1776. It produced the most effective political system in the world and an economic theory that produced more personal wealth than the world had ever seen. Now here we are, 220 years later, undergoing a full-scale national debate about the purpose and role of this very government, tying with it dire warnings about the consequences of not balancing the federal budget soon and getting our country's financial house in order. As the debate continues - augmented by the energy of the current presidential election season - we stand on the last leg of the 20th Century. The year 2000 will be upon us before we know it. The question is, will we be ready - as individuals and as a nation - for the challenges this new century will bring? We have a lot of work to do. First, savings are too low in the United States. Far behind the savings rates of other countries. Japan's personal savings rate is 15 percent. The U.S. personal savings rate is less than 5 percent. Second, savings must be increased in the United States if we are to pay our own way as a government, and to provide the investment capital we 2005-02-20T07:05:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Americans-Aren-t-Saving-Enough-26286.aspx Organized religion is a duality between the religion and the church which represents it. Sometimes the representation of the religion is marred and flawed to those who view it because of the bureaucracy contained within. Unknown to those who gaze upon the dissolved morals and values of what is perceived to be the contradiction known as modern religion, it was never intended to be this way. Most religions started off as a sect, a minor detail on the fringes of the society it never wanted to represent. Rastfarianism is such a sect. The differences between Rastafarianism and a normal “mainstream” religion are numberless, including: no set membership, no authoritative leader, no offices of authority, no trained clergy and no involvement with the world as a whole. Rastafarianism is based upon an underrepresented minority which needed hope in the face in utter demise. According to Max Weber, religion emerges to satisfy a social need. “In treating suffering as a symptom of odiousness in the eyes of gods and as a sign of secret guilt, religion has psychologically met a very general need (Weber 271). Rastafarianism emerges in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930’s to meet the needs of the poor, unskilled black Jamaicans who needed a hope. The social situation which was emerging in the 1930’s which called for this need was as follows. Jamaica was a commonwealth of the British Empire. It had recently, around 1884, received a write in clause to their constitution which stipulated if the new government did not succeed and the economic life of Jamaica were to suffer because of it, the political constitution would be amended or abolished to meet new conditions. Black Jamaicans had a taste for power in their mouths and in 1938, this erupted in labor riots and violence. This act did nothing for their cause. It would still be 30 years until Jamaica received its independence. Blacks in Jamaica were the victims of social stratification which left them at the bottom rung of the ladder. They had menial jobs such as field worker or an attendant at the sugar plant, if they had jobs at all. The blacks were suffering as a people and as an organized group. Ethopianism had been introduced to Jamaica in 1784 by George Liele, by adding it to the name of his Baptist church, hoping to graft itself onto the African religion of Jamaican slaves. But 2005-02-08T14:50:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sociological-View-of-Rastafarianism-26258.aspx Examining the ideas and beliefs within ones own cultural context is central to the study of Anthropology. Issues of Race and Ethnicity dominate the academic discourses of various disciplines including the field of Anthropology. Race and Ethnicity are controversial terms that are defined and used by people in many different ways. This essay shall explore the ways in which Anthropologists make a distinction between race and ethnicity and how these distinctions serve as frames for cross-cultural comparison and analysis. It is important to accurately define these coined terms before one is able to make accurate comparisons and distinctions between them, and their relation to the concept of culture. This essay attempts to produce accurate definitions of the concepts of race, ethnicity and culture, and the reasons why Anthropologists discredit the nature of particular views of these notions within Anthropological study. To create a deeper understanding of the distinction between racial and ethnic relations within the New Zealand cultural context, case studies and theories between the Maori and Pakeha population will be drawn upon. The idea of ‘race’ is a problematic concept in various academic fields. In the discipline of Anthropology, the definition of this term carries much controversy. The concept of race that many people hold is in a sense, a social construct that changes amongst different cultures, one could look at different cultures to see racial definition as a cultural phenomenon in action (Kottak, 2000:139). King supports this idea that races are not established by a set of natural forces, rather they are products of human perception, “Both what constitutes a race and how one recognises a racial difference are culturally determined” (1981:156). Cashmore provides a brief definition of race as “a group of persons connected by common origin” (1988:235). However, Cashmore goes on to argue that the terminology of race has been used to reflect changes in the understanding of physical and cultural differences (1988:235). Cornell and Hartman argue the characteristics that constitute a definition for the concept of race are complex. The authors claim that race can be categorised in social and physical terms. Race is a “human group defined by itself or others as distinct by virtue of perceived common physical characteristics that are held to be inherent… a group of human beings socially defined on the basis of physical characteristics” (1988:24). The concept of race and the meanings associated with the term have continuously 2005-02-06T01:21:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ways-in-Which-Race-amp-Ethnicity-Relate-to-Culture-26257.aspx Social Anxiety Disorder Research Short Essay Social anxiety disorder is also known as social phobia. It is defined as the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. It is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or ridicule. This leads to feelings of inadequacy, self-consciousness, and depression. The person with social anxiety disorder may believe that all eyes are on him at all times. Social anxiety disorder is the third largest mental health case issue in the world, and it can effect 7% of the population (15 million Americans) at any given time. There are many different perceptions about people with social anxiety. People who do have it are often seen by others as just being shy, aloof, constrained, unfriendly, uneasy, quiet, indifferent, or diffident. The people who are afflicted with social anxiety may be clouded by these perceptions as well, so they may fail to seek treatment. Because the problem is generally unheard of, they may think that they are the only ones who suffer from it. People who do seek treatment are misdiagnosed 90% of the time, often labeled as \"personality disorder\", \"manic depressive\", or \"schizophrenic\", among other things. This is because social anxiety is not well understood by the general public, or medical or health care professionals. They are not even sure of the real cause of it or what it stems from. Those with the disorder usually know that their anxiety, thoughts, and fears are irrational and unfounded. They realize that it is angst and terror that they are experiencing. They know that people around them are not really critically judging them or evaluating them constantly. They understand that everyone is not out to degrade or embarrass them. But despite this logical knowledge and sense, they still continue to feel and believe differently, thus, thoughts and symptoms of anxiety usually persist with no indication of going away. People with social anxiety may usually experience extreme distress in some of these situations: when they are being introduced to other people, being teased or criticized, being the center of attention, meeting important people or authoritative people, being watched while doing something, having to announce something in a public situation, embarrassing easily, or making eye contact. Social anxiety may be selective, though. A person may have an extreme fear of one occasion, 2005-02-03T00:55:42-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Anxiety-Disorder-Research-Short-Essay-26255.aspx THE LEARNING THEORY BEHAVIORISM: BEHAVIORIST GORDON ALLPORT AND BURRHUS SKINNER INTRODUCTION The behavoristic approach has exerted a strong influence on American Psychology. The basic ideas of behaviorism are: human behavior is a product of the Stimulus-Response interaction and that behavior is modifiable. It has triggered scientific experiments and the use of statistical procedures. Most importantly, it has turned the attention of psychology to solving real behavior related problems. The behavorist believe behavior should be explained in terms of environmental stimuli. It is not necessary to go into the postulating of inner mechanisms or traits because it creates additional mysteries that need to be explained. Though with the behavoristic approach its known that certain environmental conditions tend to procedure certain types of behavior, and with this less tedious process. (Stevenson n.p.g) To get a better understanding of this theory I’ve selected two behaviorists, Gordon Allport and B.F. Skinner; well known for their approaches in the study of behaviorism. GORDON ALLPORT ALLPORT’S EARLY YEARS Gordon Allport was born to Montezuma, Indiana, in 1897, the youngest of four brothers. A shy boy, he was teased and lived a fairly isolated childhood. (textbook 191) His father was a country doctor, and this meant that his father’s patients were always in the house. Everyone in his house worked hard. His early life seemed to be pleasant and uneventful. I have looked in many resources and I’ve come to the conclusion that not too many people went into depth about the childhood of Allport. What was known about his is Allport received his PH.D. in Psychology in 1922 from Harvard, following in the foot steps of his brother Floyd, who became an important social psychologists. (Allport 67) Though in all of the research I did, this was always mentioned: When he was 22 he traveled to Vienna. He had arranged to meet with Sigmund Freud. There was at first silence, though no longer be able to take the silence, Gordon blurted out an observation he had made on his way to meet Freud. He mentioned that he had seen a little boy on the bus that was very upset at having to sit where a dirty old man had sat previously. Gordon thought that this child had learned this from his mother, a very neat and apparently a domineering type. Freud, instead of taking it as a simple observation, took it to be an expression of 2005-02-03T00:54:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Learning,-from-the-Perspective-of-Behaviorism,-Skinner-26254.aspx [i:79bd4b4f07]Can there be a Grand Unified Theory of Personality?[/i:79bd4b4f07] No single theory of personality can adequately explain the full function of human behaviour. Psychodynamic approaches often come under a lot of criticism as they fail to be explicit about the underlying bases of the theory. Cognitive theories are not very comfortable with explaining emotions and behavioural theories have difficulty explaining the mechanisms of improvements. It has become quite clear in the field of Psychology, and to some Psychologists like Windy Dryden (Individual Therapy) explicitly clear that there is a missing linkand that somewhere amongst the mass of theories on personality, the answer is staring them in the face. These Psychologists often practice a form of Psychology called Eclectism, which takes a little out of each theory and unites it during therapy with a client. You can’t use this sort of therapy as a theory however because all the Eclectic Psychologist is doing is ignoring the fundamental ideological underpinnings of the particular theories he is using and taking the parts relevant to their client in therapy This essay will explore one of the possible combinations of theories on personality and explain how it can be applied in practical therapy. Eysenkes theory of biological bases in behaviour is the base of this essays approach. It provides the rules within which the other two personality theories (Kellys Personal Construct Theory and Maslows Hierarchy of Human needs) can function. Using Eysenkes theory on extravert and introvert behaviour it is possible to determine from birth, very general traits about which a person is willing to work within (aggression, anxiety tolerance and sociability etc) which is where this essay believes Kelly slightly misunderstands this concept and defines it as his Range Corrollary. Really the person is experiencing a fundamental shift from Extravert behaviour or thinking to Introvert or vice versa which causes slight unease and can account for things like shyness etc. One of the major criticisms of Kellys Personal Construct Theory is that he finds it hard to explain why constructs are laid down in the first place and why one would rigourously defend the threat to a core construct. What kick starts the Construct system into defending itself when motivation is clearly and explicitly lacking in his theory? Eyesenkes theory provides an amicable solution. If we could assume that this information was genetically coded in to the cells at birth then this no longer 2005-02-03T00:53:21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Can-there-be-a-Grand-Unified-Theory-of-Personality-26253.aspx Critically evaluate the cognitive theory of stereotyping Stereotyping is a form of pre judgement that is as prevalent in today's society as it was 2000 years ago. It is a social attitude that has stood the test of time and received much attention by social psychologists and philosophers alike. Many approaches to, or theories of stereotyping have thus been raised. This essay evaluates the cognitive approach that categorisation is an essential cognitive process that inevitably leads to stereotyping. Hamilton (1979) calls this a 'depressing dilemma'. Brown's (1995) definition of stereotyping through prejudice is the 'holding of derogatory social attitudes or cognitive beliefs, the expression of negative affect, or the display of hostile or discriminatory behaviour towards members of a group on account of their membership to that group'. This definition implies that stereotyping is primarily a group process, through the individuals psyche's within that group. A further idea of stereotyping, defined by Allport (1954) as 'thinking ill of others without warrant', is that people 'make their mind up' without any personal experience. This pre judgement about a whole group is then transferred to the stigmatisation of any individuals in that group. It is these ideas that the essay aims to evaluate, through the cognitive process of categorisation and the above definitions that bring about three distinct features of stereotyping, that our cognition can be demonstrated through. The first characteristic of stereotyping is over-generalisation. A number of studies conducted found that different combinations of traits were associated with groups of different ethnic and national origin (Katz and Braly, 1933). However, stereotyping does not imply that all members of a group are judged in these ways, just that a typical member of a group can be categorised in such judgements, that they possess the characteristics of the group. Still, when we talk of a group, we do so by imagining a member of that group. The second feature and characteristic of stereotyping is the exaggeration of the difference between ones own group (the in-group) and the 'other' group (the out-group). This can be traced back to the work of Tajfel during the 1950's - 'the accentuation principle' (Tajfel, 1981). Tajfel's work was specifically on physical stimuli, and concluded that judgements on such stimuli are not made in isolation, but in the context of other factors. Applied socially - a judgement about an out-group relies upon other factors surrounding the judgement in question, as 2005-02-03T00:50:12-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Evaluation-of-the-Cognitive-Theory-of-Stereotyping-26250.aspx Low Self Esteem Languages, colors, cultures and also the way one behaves may differ from one nation to another. Yet, each and every one of us living on the surface of this planet have several things in common. One of these similarities is that we all have a way of regarding our own self. It is believed that a large amount of individuals feel very good about themselves. Nevertheless, from time to time even the best of us get a dose of negative emotions. Very heartbreaking stories about self dislike were told by many depressed teenagers and older people. What are the causes of this kind of low self esteem and how can one person get solutions to outcome them? Self Esteem is defined as confidence in your own merit as an individual#. Such concepts as self-esteem and self-image have been regarded by some social psychologists as useful, while others have regarded them as unnecessary. There is a considerable amount of research on such topics but it would be very difficult to find the exact definition because volumes have been written about self esteem. Definitions given in self esteem literature run a yard long. But after cutting through all the scientific words, the question of self-esteem really centers down to something quite simple: How do a person feels about hisherself? If the person feels good about himherself, they have a high self-esteem. If they feel bad about himherself, they have a low self esteem. Since low self esteem is a worst problem than the higher one, let’s examine it to find some solution by investigating a number of low self esteem causes and personal cases. Individuals with truly high self esteem feel good about themselves and continue believing in themselves regardless of what others think of them. Some people feel good about themselves only as long as others support them and approve them. The moment another person criticizes them, or withdraws her or his support from them, they not only feel bad about themselves, they may even hate themselves. That would be the first step into low self-esteem. When a person acts like that, life can be hurtful for most of the time and they might find themselves at the mercy of others. When these kind of persons don't have the emotional freedom and independence from the criticism and approval of others, their choice of action is limited. There may be 2005-02-02T09:41:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Low-Self-Esteem--26245.aspx Five major theoretical bases for counseling in psychology are biological, learning, cognitive, psychodynamic, and sociocultural. Each one of these perspectives searches for answers about behavior through different techniques and researching a clients childhood or adult life experiences looking for answers to different kinds of questions. Due to the different types and styles of counseling approaches, each counselor forms their own thoughts and explanations. The premise behind the biological perspective in psychology is that all actions, feelings, and thoughts are associated with different events in a person’s life. Biological psychologists examine how the electrical impulses, hormones, and chemicals flowing through the body can affect behavior. Physocologists are concerned with how the aspects of biology effect people’s emotions and their perception of events. Many of the important findings in psychology from the behavioral theory later evolving into the social learning theory or cognitive social learning theory. Behavior therapists used to believe that actions were responses to stimuli that were learned. This concept led to a broadening of psychology. Many groups that were often overlooked by psychologists until behavior therapy became the dominant school of psychology in the U.S. after the 1960\'s. The cognitive perspective of psychology focuses on the thought process. Psychologists from this school argue that it is necessary to know what is going on in the mind to fully understand why a person will do the things that they do. The reason for cognitive psychology is to understand how perceptions and interpretations relate to behavior. Why some people turn to violence when insulted while another person will not. Many critics of the psychodynamic therapy do not believe psychodynamic theories have any bearing on psychology. Based upon the fact that many of the psychoanalysis assumptions could not be verified. Research psychologists were more related to philosophy rather than clinical science. Though not as scientific as the other theories the psychodynamic theory is still associated with psychology. The sociocultural perspective concentrates on an individual’s culture or society rather than the individual. To understand why people show certain behavior traits. Psychologists look at what effects the person's community and how other people affect a person. These five theoretical bases are similar because they all try to determine what causes a person to be how they are. If I were to do counseling, I think I would like to become a behavior therapist. I am fascinated by what makes a person what they are, and why does a person do 2005-02-02T09:39:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Theoretical-Basis-for-Counseling-Visit-to-Rehab-House-26244.aspx Echo Personality Disorder is a specific and highly differentiated form of dependency, marked by behaviours of compliance and a need to 'mirror' significant others -parents, spouse, friends, employer. It has been found that those with EPD are highly attracted to relationships with individuals who show marked narcissistic tendencies. This mirroring behaviour was the reason for choosing the name Echo personality disorder, which is based on the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo. In this story Echo, a forest nymph, falls completely in love with the egocentric youth Narcissus, and when he shows clear signs of rejecting her, she persists in her attatchement to him and will not be moved from her aim. She finally satisfies him with the masochistic task of echoing back to him all that he says. This too is the central feature of EPD behaviour in relationships, where the individual will mirror, echo, and compliment another at the expense of their own self-worth and dignity. Self descriptions by EPD sufferers focus strongly on percieved fears of abandonment, rejection, and loss, and these agonizing feelings are the driving force behind the above-mentioned interpersonal coping style (mirroring others). These individuals protect themselves from abandonment/rejection by being so agreeable to others, via their mirroring capacity, that chances of re-experiencing abandonment agony is brought to a low minimum. Unfortunately this approach amounts to a false existence with little or no true self expression, and eventually leads to poor psychological health. Characteristic experiential history for EPD often involves individuals being parented by caretakers who are themselves self-absorbed or narcissistic. In this environment the child learns that asserting ones true self will be met with a form of (often serial) rejection, to which they respond by substituting compliant behaviour in place of true selfhood. This 'compliant' behaviour can then be witnessed as a stable feature throughout the childs growing-up years, with other school children, and within the family. Depression, smoking, alcoholism, addictive behaviour all occur with very high frequency in this disorder. On a positive note, EPD people are excellent contributors to society, and to family, as they are found to be very perceptive of the needs of others. The highly respected religions of Christianity and Buddhism are based on the principles of altruism and charity, and this is a lifestyle at which the EPD individual can be said to be expert. Good traits such as these cannot simply be written off with 2005-02-02T09:38:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Echo-Personality-Disorder-26243.aspx The Effects of Divorce on Children The statistics for divorce in the 1990's suggest that nearly sixty percent of marriages end in divorce. Given this startling figure, the presumption can be made that many children will experience some effects caused by the life-changing event called divorce. What is it exactly about divorce that causes negative consequences for these children? In what ways will these children be effected? Will these effects show outwardly? The unsettling fact is: young children of divorced parents face great psychological challenges due to the environmental conditions and changes associated with divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 45). When we pass the year 2000, we will see two groups of working age adults emerging. One group will have received psychological, social, economic, educational and moral benefits and the other group will have been denied them all. The first group will have grown up with both parents present in the house and the second group will have not had both parents present. Parental conflict appears to have a pronounced effect on the coping efforts of children. The intense anxiety and anger between some parents in the early stages of divorce is real. Often times parents allow their children to get in the middle of fierce verbal fighting between them. Berating the other parent in front of the child is another way of placing the child in an unfair position, which in essence is expecting the child to choose between the parents. Any form of parental conflict, no matter to what degree, lends to a difficult adjustment period for children involved. (Jekielek 1-3). The deterioration in parent-child relationships after divorce is another leading cause in psychological problems for children. With a divorce comes a parenting plan of some kind. A child may experience shared custody between both parents or custody by one parent with visitation by the other parent. Variations of these plans can be included or added at different times in the child's life depending on special circumstances. More often than not, the mother is awarded custody of the children. The absence of the father on a full time level is detrimental to the healthy development of the children. In the case that the father is awarded custody of the children, the opposite applies as well. Studies have shown that a decay in custodial parent-child relationships may frequently occur in the first year or two following divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 2005-02-02T09:38:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-Divorce-on-Children-26242.aspx Throughout one’s life, one establishes many relationships. Some are built upon, and become strong and unshakable, some are broken and left to dissolve. While some are paved slowly and with love, blossoming to become something wonderful, others are blown apart - the pieces scattered, never to be put back together again. Though these relationships vary, from professional to personal, they are all prone to encountering some form of conflict. John Dewey has designed a problem solving sequence with 6 (six) steps, listed and explained below, to facilitate resolution of these conflicts. Since the way one deals with conflict within the relationship will affect how the relationship progresses, it is vital that one posse all the necessary skills to resolve conflict in a way that brings satisfaction to everyone involved. Dewey’s steps provide a clear outline of exactly what needs to be addressed when dealing with conflict. This allows for effective time management and allows all parties to be on the same track or in synchronization about what has to be done. They also assure a fair and even discussion of the problem and allow all parties to play an active role in the finding of a solution. Problem Solving Sequence: Steps. 1. Define and analyze the problem. Often times, when one is in a conflict situation or in a position of having to deal with a problem, the parties involved are affected by the problem. These emotions, or the stress of either risking loss or profit, could cause the parties to have different views or perceptions of the problem. This step allows both parties to have the same definition of the problem and to be aware of the exact implications of this problem. Example: George, a co-owner of a small coffee shop has noticed that there are fewer customers coming in to his store. He is worried about his profit, and is reluctant to change anything about the store due to the cost. Max, the other owner, is more concerned with the quality of the food they provide, and is willing to make any changes necessary to avoid failure on this project. At the meeting, they define the problem in a clear open-ended question and they limit the problem to time period that is reasonable. How can we improve our shop’s sales within the next three months? 2. Establish criteria for evaluating solutions. The solution can be either a practical 2005-02-02T09:37:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conflict-Resolution-as-Per-Dewey-26241.aspx Comparison of Piaget and Vygotsky Cognition is the process involved in thinking and mental activity, such as attention, memory and problem solving. In this essay on cognitive development I will compare and contrast the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, who were both influential in forming a more scientific approach to analysing the cognitive development process of the child active construction of knowledge. (Flanagan 1996 P.72). I will then go onto evaluate the usefulness of these theories in understanding a child's development. Both Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children's cognitive development took place in stages. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P.149). However they were distinguished by different styles of thinking. Piaget was the first t reveal that children reason and think differently at different periods in their lives. He believed that all children progress through four different and very distinct stages of cognitive development. This theory is known as Piaget’s Stage Theory because it deals with four stages of development, which are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P. 26). In the first stage sensorimotor, which occurs from birth to the age of two is the time in an infant’s life when the child basically deals with what is presented to him. They learn about physical objects and are concerned with motor skills and the consequences of some of their actions. (Thomson, Meggit 1997 P.107). During this stage children will learn the concept of object permanence. This is where an object will continue to exist even if it is out of sight. (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P.48) The preoperational stage last from two to seven years. In this stage it becomes possible to carry on a conversation with a child and they also learn to count and use the concept of numbers. This stage is divided into the preoperational phase and the intuitive phase. Children in the preoperational phase are preoccupied with verbal skills and try to make sense of the world but have a much less sophisticated mode of thought than adults. In the intuitive phase the child moves away from drawing conclusions based upon concrete experiences with objects. One problem, which identifies children in this stage, is the inability to cognitively conserve relevant spatial information. This is when, when a material is manipulated and no longer matches the cognitive image that a child has made, that child believes the amount of material has been altered instead of just its 2005-02-02T09:36:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-Contrast-the-Theories-of-Piaget-and-Vygotsky-26240.aspx Effect of Stress on Decision Making Stress must be present to ensure our very being. One may wonder about the validity of this statement, but it is quite true. Stress plays a vital role in the way we make decisions (Massa et al, 2002, pg 1). “Problem solving and decision making in demanding real-world situations can be susceptible to acute stress effects which manifest in a variety of ways depending on the type of decision. The negative effects of an overload of acute stress include attentional tunneling, working memory loss, and restrictions in long term memory retrieval, with simple strategies being favoured over more complicated ones. The underlying assumption is that stress can lead to errors, poor performance and bad decisions. However, acute stress does not necessarily always have a detrimental effect on decision making, rather stress may affect the way information is processed. Some of those changes in strategy in response to stress are in fact adaptive. They reduce and select the information being attended to and processed, in response to high time pressure and reduced cognitive capacity” (Flin, 2004, pg 42). Flin has said so much about stress and decision making in this little space. To have a better understanding, we are going to elaborate in this essay and analyze the evidence that there is an effect of stress upon thinking and decision making ability. Stress can be defined in many different ways, but in relation to decision making, stress may be best defined from a scientific view describing the thought process of the brain. When the sensory organs perceive information, they send it to the thalamus of the brain, which deals with sensory perceptions. The information is then transmitted to the cerebral cortex where the process of conscious thinking and decision making takes place. In starting the process of conscious thinking, the cerebral cortex processes large amounts of information and judges what information can be dealt with automatically without our conscious awareness and what information must be consciously assessed. At this point emotions, feelings, character traits, and behavior are not part of the decision making process. Thus, the limbic system, which is directly responsible for these emotions and feelings, is activated by the cerebral cortex. Following the technicality of the stimulus, the stress response begins. The stress reaction is what affects our bodies and minds from a physical health standpoint. Thus, stress can 2005-02-02T08:39:21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effect-of-Stress-on-Decision-Making-26238.aspx PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED STUDENTS Psychological Treatment for Depressed Students Depression in school-age children may be one of the most overlooked and under treated psychological disorders of childhood, presenting a serious mental health problem. Depression in children has become an important issue in research due to its many emotional forms, and its relationship to self-destructive behaviors. Depressive disorders are of particular importance to school psychologists, who are often placed in the best position to identify, refer, and treat depressed children. Procedures need to be developed to identify depression in students to avoid allowing those children struggling with depression to go undetected. Depression is one of the most treatable forms of disorders, with an 80-90% chance of improvement if individuals receive treatment (Dubuque, 1998). On the other hand, if untreated, serious cases of depression in childhood can be severe, long, and interfere with all aspects of development, relationships, school progress, and family life (Janzen, & Saklofske, 1991). The existence of depression in school-age children was nearly unrecognized until the 1990’s. In the past, depression was thought of as a problem that only adults struggled with, and if children did experience it, they experienced depression entirely different than adults did. Psychologists of the psychoanalytic orientation felt that children were unable to become depressed because their superegos were inadequately developed (Fuller, 1992). More recently, Clarizio and Payette (1990) found that depressed school-age children and depressed adults share the same basic symptoms. In fact, only a few minor differences between childhood and adult depression have been found, including the assumption that with childhood depression, irritable mood may serve as a substitute for the depressed mood criterion (Waterman & Ryan, 1993). Depression in students has become difficult to treat due to a lack of referrals for treatment, “parental denial, and insufficient symptom identification training” (Ramsey, 1994). In addition, recognizing and diagnosing childhood depression is not a simple task. According to Janzen and Saklofske (1991), depression can develop either suddenly, or over a long period of time, “it may be a brief or long term episode, and may be associated with other disorders such as anxiety”. The presence of a couple of symptoms of depression is not enough to provide a diagnosis. A group of symptoms that co-occur, and accumulate over time should be considered more serious. Depression is classified by severity, duration, and type according to the DSM-IV-TR, published by the American Psychological Association (2000). According to Callahan 2005-02-02T03:55:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Psychological-Treatment-for-Depressed-Students-26215.aspx Why IQ Tests Don't Measure Intelligence The task of trying to quantify a person's intelligence has been a goal of psychologists since before the beginning of this century. The Binet-Simon scales were first proposed in 1905 in Paris, France and various sorts of tests have been evolving ever since. One of the important questions that always comes up regarding these tools is what are the tests really measuring? Are they measuring a person's intelligence? Their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Or just some arbitrary quantity of the person's IQ? When examining the situations around which these tests are given and the content of the tests themselves, it becomes apparent that however useful the tests may be for standardizing a group's intellectual ability, they are not a good indicator of intelligence. To issue a truly standardized test, the testing environment should be the same for everyone involved. If anything has been learned from the psychology of perception, it is clear that a person's environment has a great deal to do with their cognitive abilities. Is the light flickering? Is the paint on the walls an unsettling shade? Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Is the chair uncomfortable? Or in the worst case, do they have an illness that day? To test a person's mind, it is necessary to utilize their body in the process. If everyone's body is placed in different conditions during the testing, how is it expected to get standardized results across all the subjects? Because of this assumption that everyone will perform equally independent of their environment, intelligence test scores are skewed and cannot be viewed as standardized, and definitely not as an example of a person's intelligence. It is obvious that a person's intelligence stems from a variety of traits. A few of these that are often tested are reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spatial relations. But this is not all that goes into it. What about physical intelligence, conversational intelligence, social intelligence, survival intelligence, and the slew of others that go into everyday life? Why are these important traits not figured into intelligence tests? Granted, normal standardized tests certainly get predictable results where academics are concerned, but they should not be considered good indicators of general intelligence because of the glaring omissions they make in the testing process. To really gauge a person's intelligence, it would be necessary to put them through a rigorous 2005-02-02T03:53:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-IQ-Tests-Don-t-Measure-Intelligence-26214.aspx The Early Detection and Treatments of Adolescent Depression and Suicide Only in the past two decades has depression in adolescents been taken seriously. Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. Therefore it comes to no surprise to discover that adolescent depression is strongly linked to teen suicide. Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youth’s aged 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer (Blackman, 1995). Despite this alarming increased suicide rate, depression in this age group is greatly under diagnosed and can lead to serious difficulties in school, work, and personal adjustment, which may continue into adulthood. How prevalent are mood disorders and when should an adolescent with changes in mood be considered clinically depressed? Brown (1996) has said the reason why depression is often overlooked in adolescents is because it is a time of emotional turmoil, mood swings, gloomy thoughts, and heightened sensitivity. Therefore, the adolescent’s first line of defense is his or hers parents. It is up to those individuals who interact with the adolescent on a daily basis (parents, teachers, etc.) to be sensitive to the changes in the adolescent. Unlike adult depression, symptoms of youth depression are often masked. Instead of expressing sadness, teenagers may express boredom and irritability, or may choose to engage in risky behaviors (Oster & Montgomery, 1996). Key indicators of adolescent depression include a drastic change in eating and sleeping patterns, significant loss of interest in previous activity interests, constant boredom, disruptive behavior, peer problems, increased irritability and aggression (Brown, 1996). What causes a teen to become depressed? For many teens, symptoms of depression are directly related to low self-esteem stemming from increased emphasis on peer popularity. For other teens, depression arises from poor family relations, which could include decreased family support and perceived rejection by parents. Oster and Montgomery (1996), stated that “when parents are struggling over marital or career problems, or are ill themselves, teens may feel the tension and try to distract their parents.” This distraction could include increased disruptive behavior, self-inflicted isolation and even verbal threats of suicide. Many times parents are so wrapped up with their own conflicts and busy lives that they fail to see the changes in their teens, or they simply refuse to admit their teen 2005-02-02T03:49:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Detection-and-Treatments-of-Adolescent-Depression,-Suicide-26212.aspx Anger and Aggression Everyone has felt anger or aggression many times in there life. It happens all of the time. We all face the same challenge of trying to control our temper. It may be easier for some people than it is for others. Many studies show that it is healthy for a person to let out their anger once in a while. They believe that it will help in your relationship with others and that it will increase your self-esteem. They also believe that holding anger in is bad and unhealthy for your body. If you let the anger build up it could go from just being a verbal argument to a point in which someone or something is hurt or destroyed. To control your anger you should release your aggression in a way that is not harmful to others or yourself. People that look into a problem more closely can control their anger better. These people get all of the facts and make a proactive decision. Also by looking into the problem your may find out that it wasn't as bad as you first thought. Looking into the problem will also help you look at the consequences of the action you are going to take. Researchers also believe that tv and movies have an impact on the ways we release our aggression. They believe that in some way we are all influenced in some way by movies and tv shows that we watch. If we can learn to control our anger we will see that our life, and everyone else's life is a lot safer and more peaceful. Some people may ask, "What causes a person to feel angry?" There are two answers to the question. The first is that you may feel angry with yourself or something that you may have done. The second is that you may be angry at another person or object. Some people may refer to feeling angry with yourself as internal anger and anger towards another person as external anger. An example of internal anger is that you did not do as good as you wanted to do on your test. An example of external anger is getting into an argument with a friend. There are different ways of dealing with your anger. The best way is to go right to the person that you are feeling angry with and talk to them 2005-02-02T03:48:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anger-and-Aggression--26211.aspx 15% Tax Across the Board? Money! I bet I have your attention now. Hard working Americans are consistently held down due to taxes. There are many unnecessary taxes that are taken from each individual every single year. The 15% sales tax concept eliminates the frustration and confusion of the different kinds of taxes, and creates more money for the federal government. This concept has been overlooked year after year since its conception. This is a 15% sales tax; a tax that takes 15% of all goods sold and gives it to our government. Be aware of the fact that it is now 7.75%; a lot of you may say, \"7.75% is way too much already\". The answer to that question is no, no it is not. That 15% sales tax goes directly to the federal government eliminating all income tax in ones paycheck. Imagine seeing your paycheck without taxes taken out of it. It seems almost unimaginable to me; now we can imagine it. What does every employee constantly complain about every single paid day? What is one of the main topics that the presidential candidates stressed while campaigning? How come people like drug dealers get a big advantage in this world when it comes to pay taxes? And again, what consistently holds down the hard working American? I have found a way to answer all those questions? This concept has actually found a way to tax everybody, not just the working ones. This concept also makes it fair and economical to our federal government, not just the individual taxpayer. Under the implementation of this concept an individual could receive a paycheck and have virtually no taxes taken from it. This 15% sales tax eliminates confusion, taxes everybody, and organizes the government in a way that has never been done. Eliminating the confusion of distributing all of the taxes throughout the country would be in our government\'s vital interest. Every two weeks I will go through the exact same ritual, I will receive my paycheck and furiously tare it open to see how much money I will be able to lose in the next two weeks. I\'m always blessed with a beautiful number at the top that is very fair and deserving for the hard work that I do on the weekly basis. Then I always see a whole bunch of abbreviations, different dollar amounts, then the number at the bottom 2005-01-19T08:34:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Flat-Tax-26166.aspx Abraham Maslow and the Heirarchy of Human Needs Abraham Harold Maslow was born on April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the oldest of seven children born to his parents, who were uneducated Jewish immigrants from Russia. His parents, wanting the best for their children in the “new world”, pushed him hard in his academic studies. He was smart but shy, and remembered his childhood as being lonely and rather unhappy. He sought refuge in his books and studies. His father hoped he would study as a lawyer, and Maslow enrolled in the City College of New York. After three semesters at CCNY, he transferred to Cornell and then back to CCNY again. He married his first cousin Bertha, against his parents wishes and moved to Wisconsin, where he would attend the University of Wisconsin for graduate school. Here he met his chief mentor Professor Harry Harlow, and became interested in psychology, and his schoolwork began to improve dramatically. He pursued a new line of research, investigating primate dominance behavior and sexuality. He recieved his BA in 1930, his MA in 1931, and his PhD in 1934, all in the field of psychology, all from the University of Wisconson. Ayear after he graduated he returned to New York to work with E.L. Thorndike at Colombia, where he studied similar topics. From 1937 to 1951, Maslow worked full-time on staff at Brooklyn College. In NY he found two more mentors, anthropologist Ruth Benedict and Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer, whom he he admired both professionally and personally. These two people were so accomplished in what they did and such “wonderful human beings”, that Maslow began taking notes about them and their behavior. This would be the foundation for his lifelong research and thinking about mental health and human potential. He wrote extensively on the subject, taking ideas from other psychologists and adding significantly to them, especially the concepts of a hierarchy of human needs, metaneeds, self-actualizing persons, and peak experiences. Maslow became the leader of the humanistic school of psychology that emerged in the 1950\'s and 1960\'s, which he referred to as the “third force”, beyond Freudian theory and behaviorism. Also during this period of his life, he came into contact with the many European intellectuals that were immigrating to the United States, Brooklyn in particular, people like Adler, Fromm, Horney, as as well as several Gestalt and Freudian psychologists. In 2005-01-19T08:27:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abraham-Maslow-and-the-Hierarchy-of-Human-Needs-26162.aspx [i:deba0d65fd]Foreign Investment: France vs. Italy[/i:deba0d65fd] Econ 242 Italy, the sixth largest industrial economy in the world, only trails France by two spots in the overall world rank yet trails France by drastic propositions when it comes to its foreign investment position. The international economic trends that the two countries exhibit in the past decade are miles apart as are their individual symptoms. Why has France's success in becoming a global economic power surpassed that of Italy? This paper will explore both the inward and outward investment positions of France and Italy and reflect on why the two European nations rank where they do. My initial findings of the two foreign investment positions are presented on Dunning's J-curve: The J-curve shows a net outward investment (NOI) for Italy as $59.3 per capita, a figure significantly lower than France's $248 per capita. More specifically, while France's gross outward investment (GOI) is, on average, similar to its level of gross inward investment (GII), Italy displays a different picture. Instead, domestic investors seem to be lured to the foreign markets while investors outside Italy are not being enticed to invest directly in Italy. While both countries have recognized the importance of integrating their traditional economies into the global economy, achieving internationalization of domestic firms while simultaneously increasing openness in the home market would prove to be a tricky feat. Gross Domestic Product France's real GDP growth enjoyed high rates of growth, particularly in the mid and late 1990's which was accompanied by an impressive decline in inflation, averaging just under 2% throughout the 1990s and fell to .6% in 1999. France's exports and imports account for about 50% of its GDP, making the country's external sector vital to its economic growth. In addition, GDP growth was fueled by increases in household consumption and, more recently, by business fixed investment. After years of weakness in the 1990s, corporate investment has improved greatly, as firm are trying to increase capacity utilization (shown by appendix 4) and integrate new technologies, creating high net earnings for French companies. While this improvement in GDP reduces France's government budget deficit and unemployment level, according to CountryWatch, wage increases may contribute to maintaining inflation in the one-to-two percent range. Overall, France's growth has created a favorable environment for continuing expansion, both inward and outward, helping to further feed 2005-01-08T07:31:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Foreign-Investment-France-vs_-Italy-26144.aspx Stress (psychology) I INTRODUCTION Stress (psychology), an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being. The word stress means different things to different people. Some people define stress as events or situations that cause them to feel tension, pressure, or negative emotions such as anxiety and anger. Others view stress as the response to these situations. This response includes physiological changes-such as increased heart rate and muscle tension-as well as emotional and behavioral changes. However, most psychologists regard stress as a process involving a person's interpretation and response to a threatening event. Stress is a common experience. We may feel stress when we are very busy, have important deadlines to meet, or have too little time to finish all of our tasks. Often people experience stress because of problems at work or in social relationships, such as a poor evaluation by a supervisor or an argument with a friend. Some people may be particularly vulnerable to stress in situations involving the threat of failure or personal humiliation. Others have extreme fears of objects or things associated with physical threats-such as snakes, illness, storms, or flying in an airplane-and become stressed when they encounter or think about these perceived threats. Major life events, such as the death of a loved one, can cause severe stress. Stress can have both positive and negative effects. Stress is a normal, adaptive reaction to threat. It signals danger and prepares us to take defensive action. Fear of things that pose realistic threats motivates us to deal with them or avoid them. Stress also motivates us to achieve and fuels creativity. Although stress may hinder performance on difficult tasks, moderate stress seems to improve motivation and performance on less complex tasks. In personal relationships, stress often leads to less cooperation and more aggression. If not managed appropriately, stress can lead to serious problems. Exposure to chronic stress can contribute to both physical illnesses, such as heart disease, and mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders. The field of health psychology focuses in part on how stress affects bodily functioning and on how people can use stress management techniques to prevent or minimize disease. II SOURCES OF STRESS The circumstances that cause stress are called stressors. Stressors vary in severity and duration. For example, the responsibility of caring for a sick parent may be an ongoing source 2005-01-06T07:56:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Research-Paper-on-Stress-26136.aspx Behavioral And Cognitive Approaches In The Management Of Anxiety [i:9e44f2d528]Compare and Contrast Behavioural and Cognitive Approaches in the Management of Anxiety[/i:9e44f2d528] The Behavioural Model sees the cause of abnormality as the learning of maladaptive habits. It aims to discover, by laboratory experiment, what aspect of the environment produced this learning, and it sees successful therapy as learning new and more adaptive ways of behaving. There are two kinds of basic learning processes that exist: Operant and Pavlovian conditioning. These have generated a set of behavioural therapies. Pavlovian or Classical therapies begin with the assumption that emotional habits have been acquired by the contingency between a conditioned stimulus and an unconditional stimulus. The formerly neutral conditioned stimulus now produces a conditioned response, which is the acquired emotion. Two Pavlovian therapies, Systematic Desensitisation and Flooding, extinguish some maladaptive emotional habits quite successfully. Systematic Desensitisation is a behaviour therapy primarily used to treat phobias and specific anxieties. The phobic is first given training in deep muscle relaxation and is progressively exposed to increasing anxiety-evoking situations (real or imagined). Because relaxation and fear are mutually exclusive, stimuli that formerly induced panic are now greeted calmly. A classic demonstration of this therapy was carried out by Jones (1924). She successfully treated a young boy's fear of rabbits by having him eating in the presence of a rabbit, while gradually bringing the rabbit closer to him over a number of occasions. The encourage of a pleasant response such as eating is incompatible with fear. In Flooding the phobic is exposed to situations or objects most feared for an extended length of time without an opportunity to escape. In one study, agoraphobics went through several sessions in which they had to go out into the street and walk alone until they could no longer manage. A few such sessions led to a marked improvement as judged by both client and therapist (Emmelkamp and Wessels ,1975). In flooding, the treatment is carried out in vivo, that is, in real life. But, real-life exposure to threatening stimuli is often impossible or impractical. It's not all that easy to bring snakes and dogs into a therapist's office to do flooding therapy. Under the circumstances, the next best thing is in vitro, in a simulation, and refers to the use of imagery. One example is implosion therapy, and the patient must imagine the most terrifying situation he could 2005-01-06T07:49:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Behavioral-and-Cognitive-Approaches-In-Anxiety-Management-26134.aspx Perpetual Cities: The Roots of Primacy in the Third World Almost all of the world's largest cities are found in ex-colonial countries. However, the largest countries are not always home to the largest cities. In fact, the smaller the country, the more prone it is confronting primacy. Primacy - defined in this paper as the disproportionate sum of population and economic concentration as compared to the next largest city - is the result of an economic process that began during colonization and continues today. Although, primacy has historically been associated with urbanization, it is the geographical manifestation of economic decisions by governments, the business elite and migrants. Primate cities increased in population and relative wealth because of cumulative causation - the forces that set primacy in motion perpetuate the phenomenon. Primacy's Roots - Colonization Most of the world's largest cities are found in former European colonies. The colonial system changed the geographies of what is now the third world by creating new centers of power, altering the function of domestic markets and introducing new modes of transportation. While the emergence of primacy is easy to identify, it perpetuates because of the interaction of a number of market forces. Colonial Government Although urban centers existed in Africa, Asia and Latin America before colonialism, the arrival of the European colonists signaled the beginning of primacy. As colonists created a centralized political economy, certain economic centers and some of their inhabitants gained extraordinary wealth. Collusion between merchants and governments concentrated economic power both geographically and socially. Resulting imbalances of social and political power created a third world elite that would control domestic and international trade until well after independence. Colonial Economies Colonial cities reinvented the economic landscape of the third world. The political and economic relationship of colonies to their colonial powers produced a new export economy while simultaneously dismantling domestic trade. The existing domestic economies, such as textiles and metalworking industries, could not compete lower priced and higher quality imports from more technologically advanced European manufacturers (Becker et al., 77). By replacing pre-colonial economies with export-based economies controlled by a concentrated elite, the economic structure of primate cities was complete - the urban rich controlled the low-skilled and less-educated classes. Since the colonial period, income inequality has been an unwavering characteristic of urban primacy in Latin America. Colonial Infrastructure Transportation infrastructure helped reshape economic geographies of the third world to further concentrate wealth. For example, Zambia's agriculture and industry are concentrated 2005-01-03T05:08:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Roots-of-Primacy-in-the-Third-World-26120.aspx World Capitalism and Third World Urbanization Urbanization has been a leading characteristic of the development of the Third World in the Twentieth Century. As developing countries entered the international economic stage, and as they industrialized, urban populations and areas began to increase and develop. Bryan Roberts' article, "Urbanization, Migration and Development" examines Third World urbanization, and explains how it relates to the new international economic order. Roberts discusses the Third World's experience with import substitution industrialization, and the new international division of labor, concluding that the newly interconnected world economy directly contributes to urbanization. It is important to have an understanding for the contemporary world economy before discussing the ways in which it has contributed to Third World urbanization. Integral to the new economic order is the idea of an international division of labor. The new economy is dominated and mediated by multinational corporations and supranational agencies, creating a highly integrated and transnational economic system (Roberts, pg. 666). The role of the Third World in this system lies mainly in export, as it provides a cheap labor source for manufacturing. The development and exploitation of this labor force has led to both state directed and export oriented industrialization, resulting in high levels of urbanization. Because of such a high level of integration in the world economy, the Third World has become extremely dependent on the First World, limiting the means by which the Third World can address the problem of urbanization (Roberts, pg. 666). Roberts first attempts to explain the link between international economic integration and Third World urbanization by comparing different regions and their experiences with such integration. He argues that non-core country's differing levels of urbanization can be directly explained by when and how they have been incorporated into the economic order (Roberts, pg. 667). The first type of incorporation that he discusses is that which entered the system the earliest. These regions thus have the highest levels of urbanization and have experienced a radical shift in social relationships in the rural sector. This type of incorporation is characteristic of Latin America. The second type is characterized by early incorporation by states with previously developed internal markets. Because regions such as China and India had already established internal markets and chose not to integrate highly, they did not have such a radical shift in social dynamics, and subsequently witnessed low levels of urbanization (Roberts, pg. 669). The third type of incorporation describes 2005-01-03T04:58:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-Capitalism-and-Third-World-Urbanization-26119.aspx Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder. It is a disease that makes it difficult for a person to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses to other, and to behave normally in social situations. People with schizophrenia may also have difficulty in remembering, talking, and behaving appropriately. Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental illnesses. About 1% of the world population has schizophrenia. In the United States, there are about 2.5 million people with the disease. Schizophrenia is the cause of more hospitalizations than almost any other illness. Schizophrenia most commonly begins between the ages of 15 and 25. Although it strikes men and women equally, the symptoms may appear later in women than in men. Very rarely, the symptoms of schizophrenia can appear before the age of 12. Childhood schizophrenia has a more chronic disease course and involves poor early language development. People with schizophrenia can have a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, these symptoms come on suddenly. Usually, though, the illness develops slowly over months or even years. At first, the symptoms may not be noticed or may be confused with those of other conditions. For example, people with schizophrenia may feel tense, be unable to concentrate, or have trouble sleeping. They often become increasingly isolated and withdrawn as their grip on reality loosens. They do not make or keep friends. They may stop caring about the way they look. Dropping out of school or doing badly at work are other early signs of schizophrenia. As the illness progresses, symptoms of psychosis develop. The person starts to act strangely and talk nonsensically. People with schizophrenia may develop paranoid delusions. Examples of this would be that they might see, feel, smell, or hear things that are not really there. They may have physical symptoms, like frowning or unusual movements, and may stand or sit in strange positions. Some people become almost motionless. Others move around constantly. The severity of symptoms will vary from one person to another. The symptoms also tend to worsen and improve. When the symptoms are improved, the person may appear to behave relatively normally, but usually there will be repeated episodes of the illness that will cause symptoms to reappear. Schizophrenia is a complex and puzzling illness. Even the experts are not sure exactly what causes it. Some doctors think that the brain may not be able to 2004-12-29T06:31:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-Schizophrenia-26086.aspx Schizophrenia is a class of disorders characterized by fundamental disturbances in thought processes, emotion, or behavior. It is also known as a "split mind"; the person is in a world that has nothing to do with everyday experiences. One to one and a half percent of the U.S. population will be diagnosed with it sometime over the course of their lives. Schizophrenia has a pattern of unique and predictable symptoms. There are two main types of symptoms: positive and negative symptoms. The positive symptoms are delusions or hallucinations; negative symptoms are deficits in behavior or an inability to express emotion. But what exactly are these symptoms and are they easy to detect? The more obvious types of symptoms are the positive. One characteristic that is often experienced is delusions, which are known as thoughts with meanings that are unrealistic. For example, people with this disorder tend to believe that they are someone else in disguise such as Elvis or Jesus. Another type of delusion is the delusion of grandeur, which is when an individual believes that they are more important than they actually are. A less common but very real type of delusion is a delusion of persecution, which is when an individual is convinced that others are plotting against him. But even more severe is perceptions known as hallucinations. Hallucinations are perceptions that can not possibly be real because there is nothing external to support them; however, to the person affected, they can be heard, seen, or even felt. Some individuals may see objects change shape or size, which is not very unusual for someone with schizophrenia. On some occasions, individuals claim to hear voices in their heads, telling them to do or say certain things. These voices appear to be so real, that in some instances individuals where known to have committed suicide because that's what the voice told them to do. Less obvious than the positive symptoms but equally serious are the negative symptoms. It is very common for a person to show flat affect, which means they show little or no emotional reaction. If someone shows a person with this disorder an extremely funny movie or a very sad picture, they are unlikely to even smile or shed a tear. People with schizophrenia also refuse to participate in basic everyday 2004-12-23T05:25:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Schizophrenia-Essay-26021.aspx Impact Of Televised Violence · John P. Murray, Ph.D · Professor and Director · School of Family Studies and Human Services · Kansas State University Questions about the effects of television violence have existed since the earliest days of this medium. Indeed, the first expression of formal concern can be found in Congressional hearings in the early 1950s. For example, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency held a series of hearings during 1954-55 on the impact of television programs on juvenile crime. These hearings set the stage for continuing congressional investigations by this committee and others in the House and Senate from the 1950s to the present. These early congressional inquiries were focused on what we did not know about television and violence because social scientists were slow to respond to concerns about this medium of popular entertainment. Although there was a body of research on movies and comic books, these were quite different forms of media and different effects might be expected. Still, prominent social scientists such as developmental psychologist Eleanor Maccoby and sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld testified at the 1954-55 hearings that, although more research was needed, there were important reasons for concern about televised violence (Lazarsfeld, 1955; Maccoby, 1954; United States Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 1955a; 1955b; 1965a; 1965b; 1966). In addition to the congressional hearings begun in the 1950s (which have continued through 1994), there are landmark reports that include: National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence (Baker & Ball, 1969); Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior (1972); the report on children and television drama by the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (1982); National Institute of Mental Health, Television and Behavior Report (NIMH, 1982; Pearl, Bouthilet, & Lazar, 1982); National Research Council (1993), violence report; and reports from the American Psychological Association's "Task Force on Television and Society" (Huston, et al., 1992) and "Commission on Violence and Youth" (American Psychological Association, 1992; Donnerstein, Slaby, & Eron, 1992). All of these reports confirm the harmful effects of media violence on the behavior of children, youth, and adults who view such programming. And yet, despite decades of research, there is a perception that the research evidence on TV violence is unclear or contradictory. This perception is incorrect and this review will address the following issues: What do we know about 2004-12-22T20:55:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Impact-Of-Televised-Violence-25969.aspx Male and Females: Levels of Relationships and Different Forms A survey was conducted to help understand the level of relationships between male and females. The three levels of human relationships included social, personal, and intimate. Of the men and woman surveyed the ages ranged from 18 years of age to 62 years of age. The questions asked the number of the three types of relationships and what seemed to be the most involved, enjoyed, and most important. As a group, we tried to determine if men or woman had more relationships than the other sex in any type of relationship. On a level of social relationships, a social relationship is people that you know or associate with. For example: co-workers, people you do business with all the time, or distance family members, the answers could not be studied due to the extreme high and low numbers between the two groups. It is known that humans deal with too many people on a daily basis to accurately count social relationships. We did not count this into our survey and later discarded the question. Personal relationships seemed to be the most popular among men and woman. A personal relationship is considered someone you have a close friendship with but no intimacy. A best friend or immediate family member may be considered a personal relationship. It was very clear in the surveys that woman had a larger number of personal relationships than the men. Their numbers almost doubled what the men surveyed. Intimate relationships surveyed very equally between the men and woman. An intimate relationship is being very close to an individual, having physical attraction for one another, having physical touch, strong emotions, and physically close to each other. The men seemed to pull ahead with the number of intimate relationships. Most of the surveys were equal between the two, but half of them had some high numbers. Men scored a higher number on the intimate relationships, they believed to be more involved with personal relationships. The same with the woman, except they thought they were more involved with intimate when they scored a higher number on the personal relationships. This shows an inverse relationship between the two groups. When the survey asked the two groups what relationship do they enjoy the best, the answers completely backed up the earlier portion 2004-12-21T22:47:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Male-and-Females-Relationships-25952.aspx Discovery Of Being It seems as though every Sociologist creates his or her own definition of Anxiety. Each definition of Anxiety being ghastly different, however, tying back to three common situations: Fear, Encounters with primary groups, secondary groups, and the public, and Anxiety towards Self-Growth. In analyzing Rollo May's "The Discovery of Being," we find that May incorporates many different definitions of these situations from other Sociologists, as well as ties in many of his own thoughts and ideas. Also at times, May disregards strongly other Sociologist's views on these situations, creating an interesting and unique view of society and Psychology. In this analysis of "The Discovery of Being," we will examine May's particular definitions and thoughts on Anxiety and Being, Anxiety and Encounter, and Anxiety and Self-Growth. Early in the book, May touches on his views of Anxiety, he discusses Anxiety as being something that does not arise from a fear of "lack of libidinal satisfactions or security," but rather out of fear of our own powers, and any pertaining conflicts. He discusses this as a present day problem, which has been significantly influenced by society and present societal goals. Libidinal satisfactions are so easily encountered in our day that it becomes hard to avoid them. The prevalent Anxiety is found upon self-reflection and our own realizations of what we actually can do, but for some reason neglect to do so. Our constant outlook to go further in society than our neighbor is tied to our Anxiety of Being and Non-Being. May looks closely at the concept of Being, and notes at one point that "Being" is a participle, also meaning in the process of "being something." An individual's Being is constantly changing throughout life, never reaching a set point. More specifically, May defines Being as an individual's pattern of potentialities. Anxiety arises when these potentialities grow harder to obtain or hidden from clear view. In modern society, man no longer holds his Sense of Being, but is looked at as a mechanism for others to succeed or save time or enjoy their libidinal satisfactions. "A man knows himself not as a man or self, but as a token seller in the subway, a grocer, a professor, a vice-president of AT&T, or by whatever his economic function may be." The point where Anxiety plays into Being is moreover in the state referred to as non-being. Non-being traditionally would be looked 2004-12-21T06:19:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Anxiety-as-Discussed-by-Rollo-May-25927.aspx Explain the key concepts of the humanistic/phenomenological perspective. To what extent are these concepts derived from other perspectives and other social sciences? The humanistic perspective was founded by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. The humanistic psychologists believe in the growth potential of healthy individuals and believe that people must strive for self-determination and self-realization. Self actualization refers the process of fulfilling full potential. Maslow’s ideas were developed from studying healthy and creative people and were based on people who were rich and successful such as Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mother Teresa. Maslow said that these people were self aware and accepting and were not hurt by other’s opinions. Maslow said that “Any theory of motivation that is worth of attention must deal with the highest capacities of the healthy and strong person as well as with the defensive maneuvers of crippled spirits.” These adults, according to Maslow, were self-actualized. The people most likely to achieve happy lives and this state are “privately affectionate to those of their elders who deserve it,” and “secretly uneasy about the cruelty, meanness, and mob spirit so often found in young people.” Car Rogers concurred with Maslow on many of his ideas and felt that everyone was ready for growth and fulfillment at their birth. He proposed that an environment that encouraged this growth had to be genuine, accepting, and empathetic. The environment had to allow people to disclose their true feelings, it had to give them unconditional positive regard, and nonjudgmental. Rogers felt that this type of relationship should exist between parent and child, teacher and student, etc. Both Maslow and Rogers also believed that a key element to personality was the self-concept. They suggest that how people assess themselves is most important to successful happy lives. Another humanistic psychologist, Markus said people could have concepts of their possible selves as well. The possible selves might be dreams of the future, such as the rich self, the thin self, or the loved self. All the humanistic psychologists believe a high self esteem is important to a happy and fulfilled life. Also, it has been shown in studies by Jennifer Crocker and Brenda Major that culture does not hamper self esteem – so anyone should be able to live a happy life. They say this is because successful people, regardless of their culture, value the things at which they excel, attribute problems to prejudice, and compare themselves to those 2004-12-20T04:11:16-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Humanistic-Phenomenological-Perspective-in-Psychology-25865.aspx Use the behavioral perspective to assess the extent to which differences in culture are related to differences in behavior. The behavioral perspective, pioneered by Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner, contends that reinforcers, both positive and negative, determine the actions of an animal or individual. Since cultural values at least partly define what is perceived as a reward and to have value, culture must have a large effect on behavior, and, of course, its differences. Pavlov, famous for his experiments with dogs, found that dogs could be “classically conditioned” to salivate at the sound of a bell. An unconditioned response, their salivation to food, was paired with an unconditioned stimulus, a bell, just before food was given, and thus it was made a conditioned response to the bell. Skinner furthered these experiments and found that animals could be “operantly conditioned” or conditioned to act on their environment to attain a positive or negative reinforcer. A positive reinforcer is something that gives pleasure, while a negative reinforcer removes pain or discomfort. As mentioned previously, culture may help define reinforcers, such as encouragement or the removal of anxiety in a group of strangers. In Western Europe and North America, parents, according to cultural values, condition children to be independent and more outgoing than in Asian societies that value social harmony and loyalty. While a child who left his family in America to create a thriving business would be encouraged and revered, a child who left his family in China to survive on his own might receive a punishment of sorts in the way he was socially treated for abandoning his home. Western societies also often encourage the “get rich” mentality while Asian societies encourage hard work and determination. This has resulted in the spectacular success of the lottery, game shows, and the like. Athletic ability too, greatly encouraged and rewarded, has influenced many students to pursue football or basketball in hopes of gaining such large salaries and fame in place of educational pursuits. Further more, as the behaviorist perspective contends, punishment may stifle certain behaviors, but they may also come out behind the back of the imposing authority figure. Therefore, what types of punishment are culturally acceptable (i.e. death penalty is used in the U.S., but shunned many other places in the world) and how they are imposed will affect actions. While the behaviorist perspective is criticized for ignoring the thinking or cognition involved in behavior, 2004-12-20T04:10:32-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Behavioral-Perspective-on-Cultural-Differences-25864.aspx Describe and evaluate the contributions of cognitive psychology to the understanding of one cognitive process you have studied. Cognitive psychology has greatly contributed to the study of learning. The cognitive perspective posed the theory that learning is more than just reactions based on consequences and that it does indeed involve thinking 2004-12-20T04:09:15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evaluation-of-Cognitive-Psychology-25863.aspx This isn't really an essay, but it was a worksheet in my econ class. Maybe it'll help someone... The Vigilantes Work Sheet 1. What might cause bondholders to sell their bonds? An American policy that proposes big spending programs and accelerates inflation may cause bondholders to sell their bonds. 2. How does that raise the deficit? It drives up long-term interest rates, which moves inversely to bond prices, and thus, the deficit increases. When bonds, 2004-12-20T03:44:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Vigilantes-Work-Sheet-on-Bond-Holders-25854.aspx “Why should I pay?” How have (and will) the numbers of payers and beneficiaries of Social Security change(d) over the decades? The numbers of payers per beneficiary has decreased over the decades and will continue to do so. This is because life expectancy continues to rise and, consequently, the number of beneficiaries increases. Costs for social security will double each decade. 2) How true is it that Social Security recipients are just getting back the money they paid into the system? It is not true at all. They generally get their money back several-fold and it is not even their money. It is the money of the younger workers currently putting money into Social Security. 3) How secure is the Social Security “surplus”? It is not very secure because the “surplus” is used to pay government operating costs after it is invested by the government in U.S. treasury bonds. As there are more beneficiaries and less payers per beneficiary, the surplus will also decrease. 4) What is the “coming crisis” in Social Security, and why isn’t not easy to solve? “The crisis should hit around the year 2012.” The crisis is that in 30 years the average annual benefit for retirees will have increased, and by each decade, “total benefits will double” meaning that in the year 2010 $1 trillion dollars will be necessary, and in 2050, $20 trillion. The surplus will run out and so will the money for the ever growing number of retirees. 5) What do YOU think are the best solutions to this problem? I agree with much of what the author offers as part of the solution. a) No benefits for potential beneficiaries making over $50,000 a year (remove the income cap) b) Raise the retirement age I also think that employees should be encouraged to save for retirement and businesses should be urged to offer retirement plans of some sort. I think that Social Security should only be paid to those in great need and that the public should be made in some way to think of their own retirement and save their money. I think everyone’s retirement should be their own concern and they should plan well enough to live at almost the same standard during retirement. People should also be allowed to seek jobs for as long as they want to. If they didn’t plan well for retirement and so they still need to work – that’s life…of course I’m only 17 and 2004-12-20T03:38:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Security-Should-we-Pay-Into-it-25852.aspx The political leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah liberated the Gold Coast into the State of Ghana on March 6, 1957. In this time period the continent of Africa was experiencing the political changes of its people against imperial rule of powers such as, France, Britain, Poland, and Portugal. When colonial rule ended in Ghana, there were only eight independent African States Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Liberia and Sudan. Even while witnessing the beginnings of Colonial Independence, Nkrumah believed that Imperialist have "cleverly postponed their ultimate and inevitable demise by deviously granting formal sovereignty to their colonies, yet by various economic and political demises continuing to exploit and direct the fortunes of new states." We'll find that Nkrumah's tactical political objectives against Imperialism were right, when the political environment was ripe shifting towards Colonial Independence. Moreover, leading him to seek the vision Ghana's Colonial Unification and Continental Unity of Africa as whole, earning him a place in African political history. The Road to Ghana's Colonial Independence As a graduate student in England, he presented his political beliefs against Colonialist, by joining student organizations and disseminating his message through the press. While at the London School of economics to the In 1947 Kwame published a powerful pamphlet denouncing Imperialist rule in the Gold Coast, Towards Colonial Freedom, where he presented a four-point program that called for the abolition of political illiteracy, the organization of the masses and the establishment of an educational fund and an national press. He became Vice President of the West African Student Union while at the same time denouncing foreign rule in Africa through the African Interpreter. Such passion toward ending foreign rule drove Kwame to form secret society know as Circle Union of Socialist African Republics that sought to liberate Africa from Imperialist oppression. After forming the circle in England, Kwame was asked become a secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), "an organization formed mainly by lawyers, doctors and chiefs, to end British colonial rule in the Gold Coast in the shortest possible time" in 1947. In his new position, Kwame demonstrated the organizational skills he acquired through Coloured Workers Association by quickly expanding UGCC offices throughout Ghana from two to six hundred with a six-month framework. This outreach program proved to be effective, in spreading 2004-12-10T20:34:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/African-Politics-Kwame-Nkrumah-25810.aspx Attempting to describe honor and how it was understood in colonial Latin America we must first know how it is understood today. Thereby giving us a point of reference and judgment. According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (m-w.com), honor is defined as “good name or public esteem”; “reputation”; “a person of superior standing”. Honor in colonial Latin America was viewed much like today yet threats and reactions to threats have changed over time. Honor, just as today, is the way your name is viewed by others in the public. Threats toward ones honor might be defended differently in the public view. Honor varied between genders. Males felt it necessary to defend their honor when another slighted their masculinity, family, or physical ability. Females felt honor too. They often saw it important to defend their honor like did the males. Usually it was defended by gossip or name-calling but on occasion did result in physical violence as well. Females saw honor in a moral sense. Ones sexual activity or lack thereof before marriage, fidelity in marriage and celibacy after marriage all proved a woman to be honorable. Just like today, a personal reputation would be on the line if called a demoralizing name. Honor within the different ethnic groups varied as well. With great pride, ethnicities are separated into different groups. The Peninsulars saw themselves as greater then all others in Latin America since they thought their group to be the greatest. Threats or accusations made by someone outside the class were a grave mistake that often led to death. Action was necessary to maintain ones honor. Crioles being the second in rank of racial standing had something to gain by attempting to damage the honor of someone greater then himself. Threats unanswered or unsuccessfully challenged could boast ones honor within the society. Classes in colonial Latin America are most commonly viewed by social standing or by ones wealth. The different levels of classes had their honor to defend. Social expectations needed to be defended. The family within a class also had a certain honor to defend. Any actions that would defile a family member would defile the honor of the family. The status of the family within the class would be on 2004-12-10T19:39:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Honor-In-Colonial-Latin-America-25808.aspx Collective violence is a something that takes place all the time. Whether it be a riot, a revolution, or a gang, people participate in collective violence everyday. Barkan’s and Snowden’s Collective Violence provides the reader with a comprehensive look at the theories behind this phenomenon and applies them to the examples that can be found in societies across the globe. This paper will look at how well the book explains collective violence and how the examples provided give the reader insight to the world around them. This book is basically an attempt to explain the occurrence of collective violence. The theory that provides the foundation for the proper evaluation of violent acts and violent groups is giving first. The following chapters of the book address the various forms of collective violence that take shape throughout the world. In each chapter, the authors provide some examples of each form of collective violence, and try to explain them with the use of theory. The major forms of collective violence that are discussed are riots, revolutions, terrorism, cult, militia, and hate groups. Although the author provides the theories in the beginning of the book, the reader is left to apply the theories to the examples provided. This provides the book with some structure while also allowing the reader some freedom to decide which theory applies best. This is an important aspect of the book. By allowing a wide range of explanations for all the forms of collective violence, the reader is given an understanding that such complex issues are difficult to explain. Also, there is usually more than one reason that leads to a group becoming violent. There are five basic theories outlined in the book. These theories provide the framework for understanding the events that are discussed in later chapters. The first theory is presented is the Irrational and Rational approaches. Irrationality was the theory that people do not understand the consequences of their actions when in large groups or crowds. Rationality, discussed by Turner and Killian, is the belief that people that come together in groups begin to develop an emergent norm. This is the expectation that something violent may occur, but in a calculated manner. Psychologists such as Freud, Pareto, and LeBon all researched about irrationality. However, I do not think the point 2004-12-06T16:37:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Collective-Violence-25800.aspx Life in America has been molded by many factors including those of the hippie movement in the Sixties. With the development of new technology, a war against Communism, and an internal war against racial injustice, a change in America was sure to happen. As the children of the baby boom became young adults, they found far more discontent with the world around them. This lead to a subculture labeled as hippies, that as time went one merged into a mass society all its own. These people were upset about a war in Vietnam, skeptical of the present government and its associated authority, and searching for a place to free themselves from society’s current norms, bringing the style they are known for today. “Eve of destruction; no satisfaction…and a third motif went rippling through the baby-boom culture: adhesive love” (Gitlin 200). The freedom they found came with the help of drugs. Marijuana evolved from its “black and Hispanic, jazz-minded enclaves to the outlying zones of the white middle class young” (Gitlin 200). This new drug allowed a person to open their mind to new understandings and philosophies. But it wasn’t just marijuana that opened the minds of the youth; a new drug known as LSD came into existence: Depending on who was doing the talking, [LSD] is an intellectual tool to explore psychic ‘inner space,’ a new source of kicks for thrill seekers, the sacramental substance of a far-out mystical movement- or the latest and most frightening addiction to the list of mind drugs now available in the pill society being fashioned by pharmacology (Clark 59). With politicians and law enforcement officers looking on the drug as a danger to society, many expert chemists “set up underground laboratories and fabricated potent and pure LSD…kept their prices down, gave out plenty of free samples, and fancied themselves dispensers of miracles at the service of a new age” (Gitlin 214). It wasn’t just the youth in America who was using these drugs. A statistic from 1967 states that “more American troops in Vietnam were arrested for smoking marijuana than for any other major crime” (Steinbeck 97). The amazing statistic wasn’t the amount of soldiers smoking marijuana; it was the amount of soldiers America was sending over to fight a war that nobody understood. Between 1965 and 1967, troops “doubled and redoubled and redoubled twice more” (Gitlin 261). In a letter to President Johnson 2004-12-05T05:50:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hippie-Culture--25797.aspx Roots of Revolution The Mexican revolution of 1910 was a pivotal time in Mexican history. This conflict and its effects were paramount to all citizens in Mexico, both proletariat and bourgeoisie alike. Two important provisions in the Constitution, Articles 27 and 123, are the economic and social manifestations of these political forces. Article 27 outlined a program of "expropriation in the public interest," barring foreign ownership of many lands or subsoil resources (Weyl 56). It also mandated measures to ensure equitable distribution of land and aid growth of small and middle-sized farms in favor of the latifundia system previously in operation. Article 123 was, known as the "Magna Carta of labor" provided many rights for wage earners which were previously not guaranteed (Hart 331). The article provided for an eight hour day for workers and protected their rights to strike against the employer, while making employer lockouts much more difficult (Bazant 149-151). The subject, intent, and focus of both Article 27 and Article 123 of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 are ostensibly in response to the peasants involvement and response to social conditions. However, the motive behind these provisions is rather unclear. Many historians, such as professor Jan Bazant, argue that the goal of these land and labor reform provisions was to strengthen the villages, making them self-sufficient, and not reliant on the government or foreign investors for survival. This sort of nationalism, directed by a policy of "real politick," reflected the desires and biases of the politically repressed bourgeoisie. Many also take this argument further and suggest that the Constitution was written with the interest of the nation in mind, and it "owed something to the socialist doctrine" (Parkes 361). The sole cause of these philosophical and idealistic changes in Mexican domestic policy is not simply the good-natured ideals held by the policy makers in the Mexican Government. If this was so, the Constitution of 1857 would have been sufficient and many grievances of the peasantry would have not occurred. History professors Hector Camin and Lorenzo Meyer argue that the Revolution, followed by the Constitution, was the "only way out" for the millions of oppressed peasants who had no voice otherwise. It is the creation of the Revolution which helped apply force to the legislature and enact as well as enforce these policies (Camin and Meyer 112). The pressure forced on the government by revolutionaries such as Emiliano Zapata, they argue, was 2004-11-27T20:47:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mexican-Revolution-IB-Extended-Essay-25750.aspx Theory of Knowledge Essay IB TOK Paper: Do people who speak different languages live in different worlds? Would it be reasonable to claim that a person who speaks language A lives in another world than does one who speaks language B, merely because their languages are not the same? Obviously, every man lives in his own world since we all perceive the world differently (and the world must here be considered to be what we perceive it to be). There is a number of factors that affect our perception of the world, most notably our senses, our memories and the culture to which be belong. Is it perhaps also so that the language we happen to speak is also such a factor (apart from the role it plays in culture)? Now, we perceive the world through our senses, and process the acquired images inside the brain together with our memories and beliefs, to create impressions that we (often, but not always) interpret and respond to. Where in this model would language fit in, if it also plays a part in this procedure, as suggested? Either in the processing of input (acting as a filter to what we can observe), or in the interpretation of it (being a filter to what we can possibly know, and therefore also to what we can observe). Both would qualify as factors in the production of our image of the world. So if language is an essential part of our understanding, it most certainly makes us live in different worlds. Many people have argued that this is the case, most notably the two American linguists, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, fathers of the Sapir/Whorf-hypothesis. Basically, their hypothesis is that people who speak different languages must be considered to live in different worlds, since our understanding of the world is indeed dependant on language. Their main arguments are related to how we encode information in the brain. Language, Whorf says, is the universal set of knowledge into which we must first translate what we observe before we can interpret and understand it. In other words, it is the words themselves together with their definitions, that carry the concepts of knowledge. I can not know neither what the word "car" means nor what it refers to, if I have not been previously taught what it is, they argue. And there is no way to get around the problem by 2004-11-27T19:22:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Are-different-languages-different-worlds-25749.aspx International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Abstract This paper discusses the social perceptions of suicide in the United States. The discussion includes not only what the society perceives of a suicide incident, but what the suicide victim perceives of his society. The content concerning the factors which foster the acceptance of suicide in the United States today includes discussion about former societies and their opinion of suicide and cultural differences in suicide acceptance. Psychological studies testing variations of age. sex. circumstances, etc. are also discussed in support of the information provided. The final point of discussion involves that which the suicide attempter perceives about the society around him and his reasons for committing, or attempting to commit, suicide. After reading this paper one will find that there are several circumstances under which most Americans will feel a suicide is justified or acceptable, yet acceptance of suicide at this point remains highly circumstantial and is by no means wholly accepted nor wholly rejected. What makes suicide acceptable? As humans, we form social perceptions as a result of several factors. According to the social learning theory, people learn through imitation of peers and companions; thus, they form opinions based on the beliefs of those around them. Without a doubt, the social learning theory applies to the discussion of suicide. Current acceptance of suicide in the United States originates from the many different cultures and societies which make up the United States today. The conventional notions relating to suicide do more than just explain the American viewpoint; such information can be extremely revealing about the American social structure. Acceptability of suicide, however, is not fully dependent on those who view it; the suicide victim also forms justifications for his suicide based on that which society presents to him. To obtain information about former societies and their cultures, historians rely on items such as recovered documents and artifacts; however, the idea of analyzing suicides as means of divulging information about a society is not a new concept. Over one hundred years ago, Emile Durkheim became one of the first men to study suicide. As a result, he developed a theory which links suicides to society. According to Durkheim's theory, a suicide victim's reasons committing the act reflect that which society considers acceptable or decent. Even today, social perspectives about an issue as controversial as suicide reflect that which is considered "acceptable" behavior. By considering the circumstances under which suicide 2004-11-27T18:57:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-makes-suicide-acceptable-25744.aspx Brave New World: How Children are Conditioned The society in Brave New World does very gruesome things to condition their infants to not only accept their (the infants) status in society, but love their status also. After the egg has become an embryo, the Bokanovsky’s Process of separating the embryo into eight to ninety-six of the exact same embryo. This process of course will affect the mental ability of the adult when the embryo develops. The Bokanovsky’s Process of division was only used for Gammas, Epsilons, and Deltas; the Alphas and Betas mental ability had to be high. In the stage where, the embryos become fetuses and 2004-11-21T21:44:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Brave-New-World-How-Chidren-are-Conditioned-25741.aspx Rising Concerns Over Red Meat Dhamoor Thindurt’s Article on the Rising Concern Over Red Meat is a very skewed viewpoint. He states many sources as he tries to prove his argument, but as one looks as these sources, they are in itself a biased opinion also, Thindurt does not use an unbiased source in his argument at all; of course, one does not expect him to. Thindurt has stated that “eating meat is bad for business” if this business was so bad “for business” for lack of a better word, than the invisible market hand of the economy would have probably put this market out of business. The business is growing because there is more demand for it, it’s no bad for business, just the economy. Secondly, Thindurt also says 2004-11-21T21:40:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rising-Concerns-Over-Red-Meat-Article-Analysis-25738.aspx Welfare: Putting People First 1. Why do Americans want to “end the welfare system…to help, but in ways that work, not that wreck people”? Americans believe that “welfare feeds bureaucracies and the middle class, not poor people.” They also feel that it rewards behavior that life would punish. People on welfare are “wrecked” rather than helped because they aren’t helped morally and have no responsibility when simply given money. Basically, Americans want to help in ways that work, not that wreck people, because obviously something that works is better than something that wrecks. As Sandy 2004-11-21T21:34:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Welfare-and-Putting-People-First-25735.aspx In her article, “The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860,” Barbara Welter discusses the nineteenth-century ideal of the perfect woman. She asserts that “the attributes of True Womanhood . . . could be divided into four cardinal virtues-piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity.” Furthermore, she adds that “if anyone, male or female, dared to tamper with the complex virtues which made up True Womanhood, he was damned immediately as an enemy of God, of civilization and of the Republic” (Welter 152). In Hannah W. Foster’s The Coquette, the characters Major Sanford and Eliza Wharton violate True Womanhood condemning them both to wretched fates. Major Sanford continually violates the True Womanhood with his systematic seduction of women. Due to his assaults against female purity, Major Sanford is rejected by society for being devoid of virtue. Well aware of this reputation, Mrs. Richman warns Eliza that he is a “professed libertine” and is not to be admitted into “virtuous society” (Foster 20). Upon her acquaintance with him, her friend Lucy Freeman declares, “I look upon the vicious habits, and abandoned character of Major Sanford, to have more pernicious effects on society, than the perpetrations of the robber and the assassin” (Foster 63). Major Sanford’s licentious past dooms him to a future of lechery; there is no possibility for him to evade his reputation. Eliza’s assaults against True Womanhood are violations of the virtues submissiveness and purity. When Eliza refuses to ignore the gallantry of Major Sanford in favor of the proposals of Reverend Boyer despite the warnings of her friends and mother, she disregards submissiveness in favor of her own fancy. Eliza’s mother warns her, saying, “a thousand dangers lurk unseen around you,” and supports Reverend Boyer with regard to his profession, asserting that “no class of society has domestic enjoyment more at command than clergymen” (Foster 40). Her friend Lucy Freeman also commends the Reverend Boyer to her, saying, “whatever you can reasonably expect in a lover, husband, or friend, you may perceive to be united in the worthy man” (Foster 27). Even Major Sanford questions Eliza’s disregard of their admonitions: “Her sagacious friends have undoubtedly given her a detail of my vices. If, therefore, my past conduct has been repugnant to her notions of propriety, why does she not act consistently, and refuse at once to associate with a man whose character she cannot esteem?” (Foster 55). It is 2004-10-31T02:15:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/True-Womanhood--25656.aspx John Locke uses the fundamental principles of the state of nature as a foundation for his conclusion about the principles of politics. He notes that human nature inevitably inclines people to leave the state of nature and enter civil society. He begins with the state of nature to show the many factors that would incline human beings to enter into a governmental society. Locke details why the state of nature does not work and why there is a need for civil society. The state of nature is the basis of Locke’s essay. It asserts that all people were born into a state of equality and no one man has authority or political power over any one but himself. In the state of nature, men and women have these unchallengeable rights. The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it. Under the law of nature, each person is free to pursue life, liberty, and property. These rights are available to us all based on a couple of concepts. The first is that we all are the workmanship of God, and should treat each other in the way He would have us treat each other. The second is the moral concept that we are all born with the same capacities and faculties and therefore, no one man is any less equal than another. The third is the prudential argument, which states that it is in our own interest to follow the laws of nature. Since the right to execute the law of nature gives every man a right to be judge and jury, the prudential reason for following the laws is that if you commit a crime against anther, they or their family will seek to punish you. In the state of nature, any offense that can be committed must be punished appropriately. The punishment should be as much as necessary to make for repentance and deter any such future acts of crime. A transgression against one man is one against society as a whole. Locke states that any person who sets out to injure himself or others should not be given equal rights under the law of nature. Unfortunately, the right of each man to protect his own rights, if acted upon, would lead to chaos. In order to avoid this chaos, 2004-10-30T23:13:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/John-Locke--25652.aspx Maxine Hong Kingston’s essay “No Name Woman,“ is a gender focused story describing some of the behavior and beliefs of the Chinese culture. It entails Kingston’s mother revealing to her her unmentionable aunt. Her mother tells her of the tragic story of her aunt’s suicide. She explains that her aunt became pregnant by a man other than her husband. She took the life of her and her child as a result of the community’s reaction to her adulterous pregnancy. In the essay, Kingston illustrates several behaviors and traditions that took place in her culture. One that stood out the most was the impression that her society had of women. For instance, the way a woman appeared exteriorly could distinguish her personal disposition as well as her marital status. The fact that women could be so easily judged is described in Kingston’s quote: “On a farm near the sea, a woman who tended to her appearance reaped a reputation for eccentricity. All married women blunt-cut their hair in flaps behind their ears or pulled back in tight buns. No nonsense. Neither style blew easily into heart-catching tangles. And at their weddings they displayed themselves in their long hair for the last time.” (328). In other words a woman was viewed as strange if she primped and fussed over her appearance. If she wore clothes of certain colors or styles it said something about her personality and demeanor. Furthermore, men could tell if a woman was available for marriage if her hair was long and flowing. If a woman was already married it was expected she should pay little attention to her appearance. This perception in Chinese culture endorses that a person can be judged simply by the way they look. In our society this same notion is relevant in the adolescent subculture. In this day and age there are several ways of dressing and expressing yourself. Many of these ways of dressing are named. One example of this named fashion would be what teenagers call a prep, meaning the wearer looks as if they attend a preparatory school. When someone is distinguished as a prep generally the clothes they wear are from particular stores such as J. Crew, Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle, Gap, or Aeropostale. The clothes are very 2004-10-29T23:16:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Appearance-Is-Everything-Suicide-and-Chinese-Culture-25613.aspx Some of the topics this surprisingly intelligent film takes on are peer pressure, violence, pressures of an impoverished urban environment, adolescent pride, black/white conflicts, interracial relationships, single teen parenthood, racial stereotypes, racial prejudice, absentee fathers, loyalty in friendships, and more. While failing to adequately address any of these issues, the film makes it known that they indeed exist, and are not to be ignored. The movie proposes that kids, whether suburban whites or inner-city blacks, have the power to determine the course of their lives using determination and talent. The characters are intelligent and almost believable, and are constantly questioning themselves and their social environment in sometimes very realistic ways. The film deals with both real and ideal aspects of race statuses and relationships. While Derek and Malakai’s situation can be very believable, the fact that Sara immediately fits into a society where to say she is a minority would be an understatement is somewhat unrealistic. Taking a further look at Malakai’s character, it’s not unheard of for someone of his status and poor/criminal background to feel that they are incapable of doing anything else with their life. The “happily-ever-after” ending is possible, however not very probable; for what appears to be the only interracial couple in the film to live together in peace and harmony is highly unrealistic. The movie idealistically shows and implies only few instances of conflict as a result of their relationship, whereas in reality, especially in a predominantly black society, there probably would have been more controversy surrounding their relationship. The film both supports and denies race relations as described in the text. As mentioned earlier, the movie had a habit of idealizing interactions between Sara and her dad vs. the rest of the society. Derek and Chenille take Sara to “Steps”, a hip-hop club they frequent on weekends. The people at Steps are all black, with the exception of Chenille’s friend and Sara, who looks like she jumped right off the pages of a Gap catalog, yet she waltzes right in practically unnoticed. From an aerial shot of the dance floor, Sara stands out like a sore thumb, and yet no one appears even the least bit disconcerted. While this may be the way that we’d all like to view the world, it is sadly inaccurate. Taking a more realistic approach, tension is shown between Sara’s dad and Derek. The day Sara 2004-10-29T03:03:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Save-The-Last-Dance-Sociological-Approach-To-Race-25588.aspx Ever since Ruth Benedict first distinguished two principal cultural patterns based respectively on the sense of guilt and the sense of shame and cited Japanese culture as the typical example of the latter, most foreign students of Japan seem, despite a certain amount of criticism from Japanese scholars, to have accepted her theory. I myself am on the whole disposed to side with her, but more for what we have learned through the sensitivity of her feeling for the Japanese psychology than from any desire to swallow her theories whole. They raise, in fact, a considerable number of questions, not the least of which is the fact that she allows value judgments to creep into her ideas. Specifically, it is evident that when she states that the culture of guilt places emphasis on inner standards of conduct whereas the culture of shame places emphasis on outward standards of conduct she has the feeling that the former is superior to the latter. A second difficulty is that she seems to postulate guilt and shame as entirely unrelated to each other, which is obviously contrary to the facts. One and the same person very often experiences these two emotions at the same time, and they would seem to have a very close relationship; the person who has committed a sin is very frequently ashamed of what he has done. Nevertheless, the impression still remains that in characterizing Japans culture as a culture of shame she has pointed out something extremely important, and in what follows I shall examining this point in greater detail. Let us first examine the fact that in Western eyes the Japanese sense of guilt appears to be rather sluggish. The reason is probably that where the Westerner tends to think of the sense of guilt as an inner problem for the individual, the Japanese has no such idea. It would be foolish, of course, to assume that the Japanese have no sense of guilt. What is characteristic about the Japanese sense of guilt, though, is that it shows itself most sharply when the individual suspects that his action will result in betraying the group to which he belongs. Even with the Western sense of guilt on might, in fact postulate a deep-lying psychology of betrayal, but the Westerner is not normally conscious of it. What probably happened is that 2004-10-29T02:46:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Japanese-Sense-Of-Shame--25582.aspx Most economists define a recession as a sudden decline in real gross domestic product (GDP) for three consecutive quarters. However, the media has been leading the public into many misconceptions, causing people to use the word without a clear sense of the definition. As a result, consumer confidence is in a free-fall and many Americans are almost certainly walking into some regrettable investment mistakes. Due to the generally mistaken view that recession automatically means bad investing times in the future, several investors are tending to cash out early. The word “recession,” as it sits undefined is being used incorrectly time after time, and different misconceptions of the word are spreading like a wild fire throughout the public amongst those least educated or unprepared. Often, without knowing the characteristics of the definition, through the hype of the media, we begin to believe our economy is in a much worse state than it actually is. A majority of Americans who are hearing the term from the media for the first time do not have the slightest idea of how to measure a recession, and in many cases mistake it for a common slowdown incorporated in the business cycle. Many economists cite four phases of the cycle – prosperity, liquidation, depression, and recovery. Those periods of “liquidation” and “depression” are mistaken for a recession, when in reality a recession is a much more severe slowdown. During a period of “prosperity” a rise in production becomes evident. Employment, wages, and profits increase correspondingly and businesses tend to invest in expanding production. Businesses are liable to run into obstacles that obstruct further expansion leading into period of decay, or “liquidation.” For example, production costs may shoot up, shortages of raw materials may hinder production, interest rates may rise, or prices may increase. Consequently, consumers react to increased prices by buying less. Businesses, then, remedy the consumption declination by reducing their prices. Manufacturers begin to cut back, resulting in workers being laid off, and the “depression” stage is inevitable, leaving businesses in an economic slump. Prices and profits begin to plummet, production cuts back, factory shutdowns occur, unemployment becomes widespread, and the GDP has a tendency to decrease. Does this period sound familiar? The “depression” stage is in progress as we are currently experiencing, the media likes to call 2004-10-29T02:32:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Recessions--25577.aspx [i:d763929e91]What importance may the sex of the anthropologist have on the ethnographic process?[/i:d763929e91] There are many factors which can influence the ethnographic process for an anthropologist, and a very important one is his/her sex. This essay will examine the different attitudes towards sex, the problems that face all ethnographers when they embark on fieldwork in a different environment to their own, as well as the problems and benefits which can arise due to the sex of an anthropologist. In order to produce a written work about a certain culture or society (an ethnography, anthropologists must embark on what is known as the ethnographic process". This term refers to all of the various activities and research methods which the anthropologist must undertake if he/she wants to obtain a profound and objective understanding of the culture being studied. This process can involve the method of participant observation, which is the long-term, extreme interaction with a community and involves the inclusion of the anthropologist in the day-to-day life of the society, including the attendance of the anthropologist at rituals, ceremonies etc.. The ethnographic process also involves the anthropologist expressing the feelings that he/she has experienced during the course of the fieldwork, and the relations which they might have built with certain members of the community so that the readers of the ethnography can have a deeper understanding of the culture being studied. However, the above mentioned factors can easily be affected by the sex of the anthropologist. The word sex refers to the biological category into which a person is born; either male or female" but although the term refers only to the physical appearance of a person, the extremely diverse biological and psychological differences between the two sexes have led to there being a male-female a division and a "gender hierarchy" existing in virtually all societies. This can bring about both benefits and problems to the anthropologist, and this is what will be examined in this essay. When conducting fieldwork in a different environment, there are many problems which all anthropologists encounter, and learn to overcome, despite their sex. The first problem, which often occurs as soon as the anthropologist arrives in their area of study, is culture shock. The anthropologist must learn to adapt him/herself to such basic things as sleeping, bathing, eating, and in most cases, adjusting to the loneliness and lack of privacy which he/she is certain to encounter. Some anthropologists learn that 2004-07-05T21:57:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Importance-of-the-Sex-of-the-Anthropologist-of-Ethnography-25459.aspx Two types of division of labour in two different hunting-gathering societies The division of labour in these hunter-gatherer societies is well balanced, and is organised to suit the needs of all of the members of the society. Every member of these societies plays a contributes in some way to the community throughout their life. The !Kung San Bushmen, Kalahari Desert, South Africa- Although a large group, it is divided into small bands, with each band being made up of between twenty and sixty people and having its own territory, within which the members of that band have rights to gather wild vegetable foods. However, hunters of larger animals may step into the territories of other bands quite freely if they are in the pursuit of game. The !Kung are almost entirely dependant upon hunting and gathering for their food supply. These people hunt and gather daily, and return in the evening to distribute all the food that has been collected equally among every single member of the band. The labour division of the !Kung San is by gender and age. The people in the 20-60 age group provide the food, while the younger children and adolescents are not expected to provide regular food until they are married (most commonly between the ages of fifteen and twenty for the females, and about five years later for the males years later), and instead have their older relatives provide food for them. The older members of the band are well respected and have a high position in this society, and their role is to be the leaders of the camps, and to carry out activities such as ritual curing and making decisions. For many years after they stop hunting and gathering, the aged are fed and cared for by their children and grandchildren. The women between the ages of 20-60 are responsible for the gathering, and work for two to three days a week each, whereas the men devote about twelve to nineteen hours a week to getting food. The food gathered by these women provides the bulk of the total !Kung San diet by weight. A woman gathers on one day enough food to feed her family, i.e. her elderly and younger relatives for three days, and spends the rest of her time resting in camp, doing embroidery, visiting other camps, or entertaining visitors from other camps. The men of these bands also collect plants and smaller 2004-07-05T21:56:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Two-types-of-division-of-labour-in-two-different-societies-25456.aspx Popular stereotypes frequently present the scientist and the artist as extreme opposites in their pursuit of understanding - the scientist as being objective, disciplined and rational, and the artist as being subjective, impulsive and imaginative. Yet are they really so very different in the ways they look at the world? To what extent do you consider these stereotypes accurate, and to what extent do you consider them distortions of the ways in which the sciences and the arts give us their knowledge? Is there a difference between an artist and a scientist, except their profession? Are people born to be professors? Have some people a 'rational' brain? Or is it so that the artist have a bigger right brain-half that the scientist? Has an artist a greater ability to express him- or herself? - Is it a genetic question? One thing is obvious: people are not the same, everyone is individual with individual interests and hobbies. Some like to paint and some like to play with atoms and molecules. But the question remains; Is there a genetic difference between a scientist and an artist? Undoubtable is that the public opinion of scientists and artists is as two extremists. One as rational, often alone, thinking, and the other as impulsive, 'flower-power' and poetic and philosophical. How come? I believe that the human brain works in a way that is similar to a computer's way of storing information on a hard disk, or maybe the other way around, in files and directories, different directories for different kinds of information. That is, if we hear about an artist, we categorize him with quite many attributes; impulsive, subjective, imaginative, etc. etc. But then, why do we have these attributes? And more interesting, why is it a general opinion? Is it based on internal preferences, inborn values, or external impressions, gained from others? When I first read the question above, I realized that this is my idea of normal scientists and artists. But I also understood that this is only a generalization based on the definition of the two professions. First, let me try to define science, taken from Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English; "knowledge about the world, especially based on examination and testing, and on facts that can be proven". So according to this definition, a scientist must find his knowledge after he has done some kind of observation, either it is on a piece of paper or he 2004-07-05T21:55:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Popular-Stereotypes-25453.aspx Eating disorders are sweeping this country and are rampant on junior high, high school, and college campuses. These disorders are often referred to as the Deadly Diet, but are often known by their more popular names: anorexia or bulimia. They affect more than 20% of females between the age of thirteen and forty. It is very rare for a young female not to know of someone with an eating disorder. Statistics show that at least one in five young women have a serious problem with eating and weight (Bruch, 25). The Deadly Diet appears to be a mostly female problem. Eating disorders are most common in the middle to upper middle class families. Currently, the incidence is much lower in females from the "blue collar" families. The Deadly Diet can begin anywhere from the ages of ten to thirty. The peak age for the beginning of the Deadly Diet in females is eleven to fifteen; the peak for males is between fifteen and eighteen (Bauer, 89). Most of the information on the Deadly Diet says that it is a problem of teenage girls, but as clinics have found, most of the people who come to get therapy are in their twenties and thirties. This may be because younger people are less likely to seek professional help. Most often it is the parent who brings the patient for help. Adults who have left home and had to deal with managing their lives usually tend to realize more clearly the need to seek help and make changes. Everywhere one looks today, one will notice that our culture places a very high value on women being thin. Many will argue that today's fashion models have "filled out" compared to the times past; however the evidence of this is really hard to see. Our society admires men for what they accomplish and what they achieve. Women are usually evaluated by and accepted for how they look, regardless of what they do. A woman can be incredibly successful and still find that her beauty or lack of it will have more to do with her acceptance than what she is able to accomplish. "From the time they are tiny children, most females are taught that beauty is the supreme objective in life" (Claude-Pierre, p18). The peer pressure for 2004-07-05T19:56:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Eating-Disorders-Research-Paper-25361.aspx In November of 1952 General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected to the office of President of the United States. It was the first time a Republican was elected since Herbert Hoover in 1928. The Eisenhower administration started at a rather awkward time, both politically and economically. First of all there was a war on. The Korean War had begun in June of 1950 and was still waging. As was usual for wartime the country was economically prosperous. However, the war had caused President Truman to abandon his former restraints on government spending. The amount of money being spent on defense skyrocketed to supply the troops in Korea with the supplies they needed. This caused the federal deficit to increase dramatically (Pach and Richardson, 53). Another legacy leftover from the Truman days was that of the Fair Deal domestic program. Although Truman found much opposition to his programs in Congress he managed to get several things done. Such as a public housing bill, an expansion of social security coverage, and increased minimum wages. The Republican party was not in favor of the majority of this legislation. Thus when Eisenhower was elected they immediately made plans for cutbacks in the spending on these programs. Unfortunately for them the newly elected president was not opposed to the programs Truman had began and improved upon. Over the course of his administration Eisenhower often did not hold the same opinions as some of the members of his party. As the Chief Economic advisor to the President of the United States there are many different issues that I must consider. These issues are both large and small, foreign and domestic, and affect the upper, middle, and lower classes. At this point in time there are several important concerns, which I have. The Korean War is ending and this is going to have a profound affect on the economy of the United States. During the war the country was prosperous but afterward there is always a high risk of increased inflation and an increase in unemployment. These conditions have the ability to cause a recession. Now that an armistice has been reached in Korea, a recession is beginning to occur (Pach and Richardson, 54). I believe that the President’s chief concern 2004-06-27T23:42:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economics-of-Eisenhower--25194.aspx As a coherent economic theory, classical economics start with Smith, continues with the British Economists Thomas Robert Malthus and David Ricardo. Although differences of opinion were numerous among the classical economists in the time span between Smith’s Wealth of Nations (1776) and Ricardo’s Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817), they all mainly agreed on major principles. All believed in private property, free markets, and, in Smith’s words, “ The individual pursuit of private gain to increase the public good.” They shared Smith’s strong suspicion of government and his enthusiastic confidence in the power of self-interest represented by his famous “invisible hand,” which reconciled public benefit with personal quest of private gain. From Ricardo, classicists derived the notion of diminishing returns, which held that as more labor and capital were applied to land yields after a certain and not very advanced stage in the progress of agriculture steadily diminished. The central thesis of The Wealth of Nations is that capital is best employed for the production and distribution of wealth under conditions of governmental noninterference, or laissez-faire, and free trade. In Smith’s view, the production and exchange of goods can be stimulated, and a consequent rise in the general standard of living attained, only through the efficient operations of private industrial and commercial entrepreneurs acting with a minimum of regulation and control by the governments. To explain this concept of government maintaining laissez-faire attitude toward the commercial endeavors, Smith proclaimed the principle of the “invisible hand”: Every individual in pursuing his or her own good is led, as if by an invisible hand, to achieve the best good for all. Therefore any interference with free competition by government is almost certain to be injurious. Although this view has undergone considerable modification by economists in the light of historical developments since Smith’s time, many sections of The Wealth of Nations notably those relating to the sources of income and the nature of capital, have continued to form the basis of theoretical study of the field of political economy. The Wealth of Nations has also served as a guide to the formulation of governmental economic policies. Malthus, on the other hand, in his book An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798) imparted a tone of dreariness. Malthus’s main contribution to economics was his theory that a population tends to increase faster than the supply of food available 2004-06-10T06:25:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Classical-Economists--25142.aspx Sigmund Freud Biography Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856, in the small Moravian town of Freiberg." His father was a merchant, and his mother was his father's third wife. Freud and his family moved to the city of Vienna when he was almost four. This was the initial stage of the Hapsburg Empire's liberal era. A lot of religious restrictions and unfair taxes targeted on the Jewish community were repealed. This created a feeling hope that affected the new generation of Jews, including Freud. Freud was a brilliant student and always placed at the top of his class. In 1873, Freud entered the University of Vienna to initially study law. However, as Freud would put it later, his "greed for knowledge" made him change his major to medicine. Although Freud was more interested in studying the philosophical-scientific aspects of the mind. He especially became interested in neurology and physiology and finally graduated in 1881. Freud's research was based on close observations and scientific skepticism. However, this skeptical quality was not appreciated by all of his mentors. One mentor especially, Ernst Brucke, did not like Freud's ideas at all. He even advised Freud to take a lowly position at the Vienna General Hospital. Freud took this position, but his decision was influenced by certain personal events that would change his life. Freud was secretly engaged to Martha Bernays (one of his sister's friends), but he did not have enough money to provide a respectable middle class household that his fiancée thought was necessary. In 1886, Freud finally was able to marry and the next nine years he and Martha had six children together. His youngest daughter Anna would later become Freud's disciple, assistant, and a very good psychoanalyst in her own right. Before his marriage, Freud had worked in Paris with a famous neurologist named Jean-Martin Charcot. Charcot claimed that he could cure mental disorders using hypnosis. This radical idea deeply influenced Freud and his quest to solve the mysteries of the mind. In 1887, Freud met Wilhelm Fliess (a nose and throat specialist) in Berlin. Fliess was a person who did not get shocked by any ideas. This kind of listener was exactly what Freud needed. For the next ten years, Freud and Fliess exchanged ideas and confidential information. It was during this time that Freud was practicing psychoanalysis, especially on female patients with hysteria. In 1895, Freud and his 2004-06-10T05:45:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sigmund-Freud-ID-Ego-Superego-Biography-25125.aspx The Hmong Culture of South Asia is a very interesting ethnic group. Between 300,000 to 600,000 Hmong live in Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. About 8 million more live in the southern provinces of China. Since the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia have settled in Australia, France, Canada, and the United States. The largest Hmong refugee community lives in the United States with a population of about 110,000. The U.S. Department of state has tried to spread Hmong refugees out across the country to reduce the impact on any one region. Because Hmong families tend to be large in numbers, the community grows rapidly. Facing considerable challenges while adapting to the American Culture, the Hmong have fought to keep their traditions and culture alive in the United States. Because of the lack of fluency in English and education, the Hmong have had trouble communicating, which complicates learning. Though their work skills are poor, some Hmong have had success starting a their own small businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores. By selling their beautiful, colorful needlework, some Hmong women make a living. Although some of the Hmong immigrants have been successful, their children have had more success while competing in the job market. The Hmong refugees that fled from such countries as Vietnam, Laos and Thailand had some trouble adapting to the American culture. An arriving refugee and his family would probably have sold all of their worldly possessions so they could have enough money to live off of until the father got a job or the mother was able to produce some textile goods to sell. In Southeast Asia, The Hmong lived high in the mountains. The Hmong men tended to be farmers, while the women would stay in the village and tend to the household needs while also helping with the crops. They grew all of their own food, and had no farm machinery to aid in the reaping of their crop. There was also no form of transportation except walking. This was very hard labor, so the Hmong needed a lot of help to grow food, everyone in the family helped in the household chores and working the land. The Hmong have a strong tradition in everything they do. The culture is very spiritual and they believe that all things have spirits. Shamans serve as spiritual 2004-06-10T05:42:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hmong-Culture-25123.aspx Most controversies over education are centered around the question of how strictly standards should be upheld. The concern over whether or not flunking students is appropriate or even in the best interest of the student is a widely discussed topic. The argument often begins with students just starting school where the question of standardized testing for kindergartners arises. The majority of people are actually against such testing because they feel that a child who is labeled as a failure at such an early age may be permanently damaged (Bowen 86). The worry over the failure issue is further traced to educators who feel children just entering school are not fully prepared. Teachers are faced with kindergarten students who do not know their addresses, colors, and sometimes even first and last names (An ‘F’ 59). Another reason why the assignment of failing grades has decreased is the influence of the self-esteem movement, which promotes the assumption that children who do not have a positive self-image cannot learn or develop properly. Although this theory is widely accepted, it has been discredited by several studies. Recent research shows that, although American students felt more confident about themselves and their work, they were outperformed by several Asian countries on tests of elementary skills. American schools and teachers tend to worry more about the student’s self-esteem than the actual academic performance (Leo, “Damn” 21). Mary Sherry, a teacher of adult literacy programs, does not believe such theories. Her view is that students become motivated by the threat of failure, and that not failing a student not only shows lack of confidence on the teacher’s behalf, but also hurts the society as a whole. Employees are becoming highly disappointed with so-called “graduate” students (8). In a letter to columnist Ann Landers, a college professor wrote about his views of the education system. He feels that universities have turned into businesses where teachers are just looking for money and students are just looking for a piece of paper with a title on it. He says that the students of today think they are automatically entitled to a degree because they pay tuition (Depressed Old Prof. 3-B). Adding to the profit motive for schools is the government which, for the past twenty-five years, has been handing out more grants and loans than it can cover. Furthermore, the government does not presently have a standard testing procedure to help determine which 2004-06-10T04:36:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Standardized-Testing-in-Education-25094.aspx Deculturalization refers to the "stripping away of a people's culture and replacing it with a new culture" (Spring 1). Deculturalization is one of the most inhumane acts one can partake in. A person's culture is his/her main defining feature. Culture is the medium through which people communicate their beliefs, values, and morals. Inserting one's own culture in place of someone's pre-existing culture is the basis of ethnocentrism. People have repeatedly become victims of deculturalization, especially in the United States, and by analyzing this ethnocentrism one learns the importance of sustaining different cultures in society. There are many methods of deculturalization, such as segregation, isolation, and forced change of language. When the content of curriculum reflects culture of dominant group, it is deculturalization. Also, dominated groups are not allowed to express their culture and religion, which is deculturalization. Use of teachers from the dominant group to teach those that are dominated is another form of deculturalization (Spring 49). "The problem was the assumption that U.S. institutions, customs, and beliefs were the best in the world and they should be imposed" (Spring 42). Throughout much of the past century, the United States sought to stamp its cultural ideal upon almost all peoples who existed within its realm of influence. It is only through the relatively modern ideology of multiculturalism and the celebration of diversity that the United States has begun to make amends for the injustices it has committed on other cultures. Today, with multiculturalism entering into the classrooms and other realms, different cultures are finally getting the attention they deserve. The American idea of cultural and racial superiority began in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with the colonization of northeast America by predominantly Anglo Saxon colonists. Ironically, the colonists came to America to escape persecution for their religious beliefs. The Anglo Saxon attitude of cultural superiority was a largely Protestant value that remained prevalent for much of the twentieth century (Spring 2-4). The educational impact of this elitist attitude was far-reaching. The most immediate effects were seen in the destruction of Native American culture and peoples. Efforts to 'civilize' the Native Americans through the use of schooling began in 1819 and continued until the late 1920's. The first schools were the result of Christian missionaries' efforts to gain converts. English was the only language spoken in these schools, 2004-06-10T04:21:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Deculturalization-and-America-25093.aspx Falling Leaves By Adeline Yen For years, the world has been oblivious to the painful, degrading traditions toward women that take place behind the “Bamboo Curtain” of China. Falling Leaves , by Adeline Yen Mah, unveils the darker side of Chinese culture through her eyes as an unwanted Chinese daughter. Shocking mistreatment, of not only the author, but also the females in her extended family keep suspense alive throughout the book. My heart sobs at each account of Adeline’s tortured life, but through it all, there was a flicker of her spirit that could not be put out. In China, girls are seen as a possession or a “cheap commodity” (Yen Mah 100). Sons, especially the eldest, are given far more attention and praise. Families that are well off keep their daughters and marry them off to prominent families’ sons through a marriage broker (“mei-po”). Rich daughters often had their feet bound, a process by which the “four lateral toes of the foot are forced with a bandage under the sole so that only the big toe protruded. (It was) tightened daily for a number of years (so as to) permanently arrest the foot’s growth in order to achieve tiny feet so prized by Chinese men” (Yen Mah 11). Their inability to walk with ease is a symbol of submissiveness, weakness, and wealth. This tradition is becoming more rare, but still many older women bear its pain today. Adeline’s grandmother went against these traditions by not torturing her own daughter in such an inhumane way. Daughters of poorer families could only wish for such a life of weakness and delicate manner. These girls often become maids, waitresses, or prostitutes. Street girls play a vital role in the “three vices common to Chinese men: opium, gambling, and brothels” (Yen Mah 7). In my opinion, the treatment of women is the greatest difference between Eastern and Western culture. As Western culture has advanced to bring more rights to women, the traditional ways of China have become a sore thumb on the hand of the world. Even as an Eastern girl ages, she still has little hope for her own independence. Adeline’s grandmother was told by her father these words of shuttering reality: “Your duty is to please him and your in-laws. Bear them many sons. Subliminate your own desires. Become the willing piss-pot and spittoon of the Yens and we will be proud of you.” 2004-06-10T02:43:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Irreverence-of-Female-Independence-in-China-25081.aspx Borderline Personality Disorder Borderline personality disorder "is defined in the DSM IV, a manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose all mental disorders, as an AXIS II disorder which has symptoms of impulsively and emotional dysregulation" (Livesley 146). A person with BPD have feelings of abandonment and emptiness, and have "frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, going to extremes to keep someone from leaving" (Burger 300). He or she is emotionally unstable and forms intense but unstable interpersonal relationships. They show impulsive behavior, such as spending money, sex, eating and substance abuse. Borderlines engage in self-manipulating behaviors and recurrent suicide attempts and thoughts. "Their behavior can be seen as maladaptive methods of coping with constant emotional pain" (Livesley 144). "Personality includes those aspects of a person's thinking, moods and behavior which affect his or her relationship with others" (Livesley 98). Differences in personality style (traits) add color and variety to relationships but may become too extreme, inflexible or maladaptive, significantly impairing a person's ability to function. When a person is not able to deal with people or problems of the environment, he or she is said to have a Personality Disorder (Livesley 99). "Originally the term borderline was used to refer to individuals whose adjustment was on the borderline between normal and psychotic" (Holmes 393). Today borderline personality disorder is primarily marked by instability, showing different symptoms at different times. Most of the symptoms revolve around problems of mood, mild disturbance in thought processes, and impulsive self-injurious behavior (Holmes 393). All of this prevents the borderline to have interpersonal relationships. Individuals with the borderline personality disorder tend to have intense relationships that are very unstable. "Frequent interpersonal conflict, unstable, stormy relationships are characteristics of a borderline; Relationships usually have "love and hate characteristics" (Durand 334). Individuals with this disorder do not simply drift in and out of friendships, but instead show abrupt, frequent and dramatic changes between "intense love and equally intense hate" (Durand 334) in any one relationship. The fluctuations in their mood, involved with their anger; involved with their thought disturbances, and mixed with their paranoid thoughts about betrayal and abandonment by others; as well as their impulsiveness make it difficult to maintain relationships with others. Borderlines have problems with their mood. Their mood is not manic, but alternates between normal and flat to moderate or severe depression (Livesley 150). These individuals also go through periods of intense anger that can interfere 2004-06-10T02:20:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Borderline-Personality-Disorder-BPD-25077.aspx To label slavery a crime is to insist that its white beneficiaries should have known what we know today, or to say that they had information that we now have access to. Southern Honor, Ethics and Behavior in the Old South written by Bertram Wyatt-Brown; maintains that honor was the animating force in the antebellum South, the basis of the slave holding South’s integrity. The white slaveholders valued honor and genuinely trusted their own slaves, loved their families, the people that they were close to and knew best, yet they were convinced that the black race was vile, bestial, and fit for nothing but bondage. Mr. Brown in his book utters the following quote, which he feels explains why the white Southern man defended slavery and why he fought so hard to keep it instilled. “The inhabitant of the Old South was not inspired to shed his own slaves. Ever since man first picked up a stone to fling at an enemy, he has justified his thirst for revenge and for popular approval on the grounds of honor…White Southerners were certain their cause was justified by that prehistoric code.” In summary this quote states that the white Southern planter did not just wake up and defend hid slaves but it was predestined that man defend his property and take revenge against his enemies. The slaves were their property and the Northerners the ones to exact their revenge upon for trying to take their slaves. The white Southerner felt that the black was inferior, an animal, and most certainly property; this opinion this caused the treatment of blacks and especially the justice system to promote the interests of the white slaveholding elite. Blacks free or slave sometimes had trials for offenses committed; many did not get trials and even fewer got fair trials. Slaves were supposed to bestow honor on all whites, it was important to show obedience and respect with sincerity. It would not suffice for the slave to pretend to show respect then the white man’s honor would cease to exist. The slaves were punished heavily by the Slave codes for the smallest infractions. Slaves believed guilty of malicious crimes such as rape, murder, poising, sedition, and insurrection were commonly burned alive or castrated without the benefit of a trail. Since blacks knew how they were to be treated, 2004-06-10T01:56:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Honor-Respect-And-Shame-Life-Of-The-White-Southern-Male-25068.aspx Navigation Acts The Navigation Acts, or the Acts of Trade, were a set of rules or laws drafted by the British which, in effect, protected British commerce and economy. Among other things, the acts stated that the only ships which would be allowed to import European goods were ships that were owned by Englishmen, contained goods that were to be shipped to people of the origin country, or whose first shipment was to England. Holland, who was England's main competitor at the time, was completely decimated by this blow. The Navigations act caused Holland’s trade to drop off very sharply, promptly eliminating any competition from the international seas. The Navigation Acts also imposed several other seemingly harsh rules of trade, forcing all foreign commodities to be shipped through English ports before reaching their final destination of America. The British Empire also ensured that the American colonies could only export their staple goods (sugar, cotton, tobacco) to them, guaranteeing that England would be the only nation to prosper from the newly founded colonies. This, along with other contributing issues, spawned increasingly negative sentiment between the colonists and British, especially over the issue of sugar. Due to hiked taxes on French Indian sugar, the colonists were forced to buy considerably more expensive British Indian sugar. This lead to more colonial hatred towards the Crown, leading to smuggling, which of course led to the Crown further disliking the colonies. Triangle Trade Routes The international traders found a rather ingenious way of legally bypassing England’s Navigation Acts by means of what were known was the “triangle trade routes.” Trade ships would begin in the colonies, where they would fill their ships with furs, grains, and other materials not immediately available in Europe, and then sail to Europe, selling and unloading all of their wares. The ship would then restock with goods not available in England, then head to England where the ship would then be unloaded again. The ship was then packed to the brim for the long voyage to back to the colonies where the process would start over again. Another well-known triangle trade route was used to transport slaves from Africa to the colonies or the West Indies. The colonies would trade their goods in exchange for slaves, while the West Indies would trade their molasses. This practice made many people aristocrats, as well as 2004-03-20T01:28:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Navigation-Acts-and-Mercantilism-61.aspx Copernicus, Galileo, and Da Vinci used reasoning and logic to disprove common (and otherwise accepted) beliefs, thus contradicting the Church’s theories. These methods helped bring about the transition of society as a whole to the humanistic value system, where the value of each person’s thoughts mattered, creative expression was appreciated, and scientific 2004-03-20T00:54:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Copernicus,-Galileo,-and-Da-Vinci-57.aspx Why are third world countries unable to increase their gross domestic output per capita? Countries are classified as LDCs if their GDP per capita is less than $700 (they are low income countries). People living in LDCs typically have lower life expectancy, literacy rates, and social conditions. In Africa, for example, one third of its people have inadequate food consumption. Often, only unsafe water is available for drink in LDCs such as Haiti. Such third world countries are also unable to increase their gross domestic output per capita because GDP must increase at a rate faster than population, and with generally faster population growth than more developed countries, this is difficult. There are many barriers to the growth of an LDC. In countries like China, many laborers are actually doing little or nothing that contributes to total output. This disguised unemployment, along with a steadily increasing population makes economic growth difficult. State enterprises may also contribute to disguised unemployment, which results in no increases in output. In order to gain political support they may hire many more workers than they need, but gain nothing economically. All the things LDCs lack are things that are required for economic growth. Even larger than disguised unemployment, is the lack of human capital development. Human capital refers to the knowledge and skills possessed by the work force. Due to the fact that all available income must be spent on simple subsistence, there are no funds remaining for savings or investment. There is also no money left for furthering education, getting medication, or creating any other human capital development. LDCs simply do not have enough educational tools to advance their people into fields that require more than just manual labor. Even in manual labor, such as agriculture, they can improve through newfound technologies and procedures. The lack of savings, however, also creates a lack of financing for investments. Even though capital resources such as plants and high tech equipment would further LDCs greatly, they cannot afford them. Capital flight as well removes any money that might be invested later. Those who make money in LDCs often send their money to more developed economies where their money will be safe and/or gain value. All this results in the above problems, a lack of infrastructure, and social unrest. Developing nations should request (and accept) more foreign aid from other countries. The United States only allocates .15% of its total GDP to 2004-02-22T07:26:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-on-GDP-Per-Capita-of-Third-World-Countries-36.aspx