MEDIEVAL WARFARE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MEDIEVAL WARFARE - Essay Example Certainly, masculinity is not exhibited only in terms of the nature of the combat, which generally involves brute force. Rather, critical aspects of the Full Metal Joust such as characterization continue to be an area where masculinity works most. Taking the season 1 of the Full Metal Joust as a case study, it would be noted that out of a total of 16 contestants, over 70 percent of the number were males (Froissart, 1346). This shows a preconceived knowledge and idea in the minds of the ordinary person on the street of how masculine medieval warfare was and thus the need to preserve it as a masculine venture. The second instance or example has to do with the fact that there is a general stereotype that depicts males as combative and agile in defense as compared to females. This stereotype has created a misconception that Full Metal Joust should be a thing for the males and that females should find themselves associated with certain less violent and combative ventures. Some pundits have linked the masculinity and stereotype involved in medieval warfare and other popular media to even the custom used by candidates, which they believe are always designed to appear masculine. This way, it is barely impossible to differentiate between a male and a female if they are both clad in their medieval warrior custom. In the whole idea or system of medieval warfare, it would be noted that much emphasis is given to some weapons over others. Technically, it could be said that this strategic approach has been taken due to the roles that selected weapons play in bringing about victory to warriors. To this effect, bow, arrow and spear have been given much attention whiles others like the sling have been sidelined. Two factors that could possibly account for reasons for this development has to do with the reaching ability of some of these weapons in the event of combat and the portability of the weapons for swiftness. On the reaching ability of

American Airlines Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Airlines - Assignment Example This can lead to unethical activities when the senior management and organization can gain significant rewards because of the short-term concentration on stock price (Machan, 2007). The senior management may tolerate organizational conflict of interest, abusing a number of rules of fair conduct or normal decency, gaming the rules of the society, and turning to cronyism as a means of making the most of their self-interest. Senior management troubled with the stock price of the company also concentrates on performance events that are short-term, often earnings. As a result, the senior management holds a commonly emphasizing fascination with short-term performance of stock prices. The senior management can engage in unethical behavior because profits are presumed as the most extensively conventional metric. Senior managers who have the capacity to consistently and correctly forecast the stock prices can gain tremendous profits. This prediction may make the senior management use unfounde d profit assessment. They may view the logical model of analysis as theoretically adequate but sensibly not connected from the anticipated earnings. The senior management may refer to the activities of market players to make a case out of their short-term focus on stock price (Machan, 2007). Encouraged by the view that stakeholders look at the current stock prices to determine value, they may repurchase shares even when they may be overvalued or fairly valued. Question 2 The conduct of American Airline controlling its finances by postponing the maintenance of its aircrafts may be unethical to both the stakeholders and clients. Shareholders are perceived as a unit that endures a kind of danger as a result of investing some kind of capital, financial or human based shares in a company. On the other hand, clients are presumed to be a group that endures some form of risk during their travels. When stakeholders and clients suppose that finances are being manipulated, a company consequent ly decreases worth on the stock market. The credit rating of the company will go down making the issued bonds to decrease in worth (Capozzi, 2001). Consequently, this will have a negative impact on the wealth of bondholders. American Airlines has had recurring issues with regard to maintenance of its aircrafts. The expenditure connected with operating these aircrafts has a negative impact on both stakeholders and clients. American Airlines has an ethical obligation to both stakeholders and clients to ensure that its aircrafts are well maintained. The airline also has an obligation to give correct details on the states of their aircrafts to both stakeholders and clients. When American Airlines postpones the maintenance of its aircrafts thereby influencing earnings, it means the company is not giving the true picture about its financial situation. In addition, the behavior is unethical towards the clients because aircrafts may pose risks that the clients are not aware of. The company also canceled a number of flights due to postponing aircraft maintenance in 2008. The company

Evaluating Treating Through Therapy For Borderline Personality Disorder Nursing Essay

Evaluating Treating Through Therapy For Borderline Personality Disorder Nursing Essay Despite the many treatment options for people with BPD, Many professionals in mental health services continue to believe that personality disorders are untreatable. This essay provides evidence the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) with Borderline Personality Disorder. Background To understand BPD, I will attempt to give a historical overview of BPD. In the 1800s, Philippe Pinel first used the French term manie sans delire (mania without delirium) to designate those individuals engaging in deviant behavior but showing no signs of a thought disorder such as hallucinations or delusions, psychiatry began to think about borderline personality disorders as early as 1801. Although the meaning of the term has changed through many writings on the subject over time, the writing of Cleckley and his use of the label psychopath in The Mask of Sanity brought the term into accepted usage (Meloy 1998). The Mask of Sanity is a book written by Hervey Cleckley first published in 1941; he gave the most significant clinical description of psychopathy in the 20th century. An expanded edition of the book was published in 1982, when the name was changed from psychopathy to Personality Disorder. In 1972, newer editions of the book reflected a closer alliance with Kernbergss (1984) borderline level of personality organization, in particular defining the structural criteria of the psychopaths identity integration, defensive operations and reality testing. The diagnosis borderline was introduced in the 1930s to label patients with problems that seemed to fall somewhere in between neurosis and psychosis (Stern, 1938). In 1938, the psychoanalyst Adolph Stern first described most of the symptoms that are now considered as criteria of borderline disorder. He suggested the possible causes of the disorder, and what he believed to be the most successful form of psychotherapy for these patients, he also renamed the disorder again, and he named the disorder by referring to patients with the symptoms he described as the border line group (Freidel 2004). In 1940, the psychoanalyst Robert Knight introduced the concept of ego psychology into his explanation of borderline disorder. Ego psychology deals with mental functions that allow us to effectively combine our thoughts and feelings and to develop helpful responses to life around us. He suggested that people with borderline disorder have impairments in a lot of of these functions, and he referred to them as borderline states (Friedel 2004). The next important input was made by the psychoanalyst Otto Kernberg (1967); he introduced the term borderline personality organisation. He proposed that mental disorders were determined by three distinctive personality organisations: psychotic, neurotic and borderline personality. Kernberg has been a strong promoter of modified psychoanalytic therapy for patients with borderline disorder (Friedel 2004). Roy Grinker in 1968 published results of the first research conducted on patients with borderline disorder, which he referred to as the borderline syndrome (Friedel 2004). The next major advance in the field occurred when Gunderson and Singer (1975) published a widely acclaimed article that synthesized the relevant, published information on borderline disorder, and defined its major characteristics. Gunderson then published a specific research instrument to enhance the accurate diagnosis of borderline disorder. This instrument enabled researchers over the world to verify the validity and integrity of borderline disorder. Subsequently, borderline personality disorder first appeared in DSM-III as a bona fide psychiatric diagnosis in 1980 (Friedel 2004). Personality disorder categories are not firmly grounded in theory, nor are they empirically based (Livesley, 1998). Some critics say that personality disorder categories are so flawed that the best option is to abolish them and start afresh, but most pragmatists recognise that so much has been invested in them that they are very likely here to stay (Blackburn 2000a; Livesley, 1998). Borderline personality disorder is associated with significant impairment, especially in relation to the capacity to sustain stable relationships as a result of personal and emotional instability (NICE 2009). For many, the severity of symptoms and behaviours that characterise borderline personality disorder, correlate with the severity of personal, social and occupational impairments. However, this is not always the case, and some people with what appears to be, in other ways, marked borderline personality disorder may be able to function at very high levels in their careers (Stone, 1993). Paris (1994) stated that about one-third of patients with BPD report severe abuse involving an incestuous perpetrator; about one-third report milder forms of abuse; and about one-third do not report abuse. Personality disorders are common conditions; studies indicate prevalence of 10-13% of the adult population in the community and are more common among younger age groups (24-44 yrs) and equally distributed between males and females. However, the sex ratio for specific types of personality disorder is variable e.g. antisocial personality disorder is more common among males, and borderline personality disorder more common amongst females (DOH 2003). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be seen as an umbrella term for many different therapies that share some common elements. The earliest form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy was developed by Albert Ellis in the early 1950s. Aaron T.Beck independently developed another CBT approach, called Cognitive Therapy, in the 1960s. Cognitive Therapy rapidly became a favorite intervention to study in psychotherapy research in academic settings. In initial studies, it was often contrasted with behavioral treatments to see which was most effective. However, in recent years, cognitive and behavioral techniques have often been combined into cognitive behavioral treatment. This is arguably the primary type of psychological treatment being studied in research today. One specific form of cognitive-behavioural therapy is dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), a broad-based, cognitive-behavioural programme developed specifically to reduce self-harm in women with borderline personality disorders (Linehan, 1993a; Linehan 1993b). Recent research has shown that dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is one of the first therapies that have demonstrated to be effective for treating borderline personality disorder as well as being effective in treating people who display varied symptoms and behaviours associated with mood disorders, including self-harm. DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioural techniques for emotion regulation and reality-testing with concepts of mindful-awareness, distress tolerance, and acceptance. 1.2 Rationale As a mental health nurse coming from a forensic background, I have experience of working with clients with personality disorder. I feel that by getting more of an understanding of CBT interventions, it will make a huge difference to my future practice in the future. McKenna et al (1999) state that it is unacceptable for health care not to be based on sound evidence of its effectiveness, and back up their practice with research-based evidence (NMC, 2008) to ensure effective clinical practice. Often nurses find it frustrating working with disorders of personality. These clients can be manipulative, socially inappropriate and difficult, for these reasons, such clients need all the patience and skills nurses have to offer. Until recently, personality disorder services in the NHS had been diverse, spasmodic and inconsistent (Department of Health, 2003). Besides functional impairment and emotional distress, borderline personality disorder is also associated with significant financial costs to the healthcare system, social services and the wider society (NICE 2009). 1.3 Aims and objectives The aims and objectives of this project are to review the evidence on the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with people who have Borderline Personality. 1.4 Methodology and parameters This literature review was conducted using the following resources Electronic databases: Cochrane library, CINHAL, Medline, Psychinfo, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences and Academic Search Premier Key journals were hand searched: British Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Personality Disorders, Mental Health Practice, Journal of Personality and Mental Health University and Trust libraries Google Google scholar The following types of literature were sought and reviewed where available Randomised control trials Systematic and structured review Quantitative and Qualitative research studies Position statements/guidelines from professional bodies Government policies (NICE (2009), NSF (1999) Text Books Inclusion and exclusion criteria Eligibility for this review was determined by the following criteria: à ¢-  Participants: adults with BPD (diagnosed according to DSM-III/DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10 criteria for BPD), with or without co-morbidity. à ¢-  Intervention: psychological therapies, including CBT, DBT à ¢-  Comparators: CBT/DBT or treatment as usual à ¢-  Outcomes: self-harm, suicide, interpersonal and social functioning à ¢-  Study type: published papers were assessed according to the accepted hierarchy of evidence, whereby systematic reviews of RCTs are taken to be the most authoritative forms of evidence, with uncontrolled observational studies the least authoritative. à ¢-  Exclusion criteria: papers on personality disorder without separate BPD subgroup analyses. The studies were obtained through a number of sources, as above. Searches were performed by entering the key words Borderline Personality Disorder, Cognitive behaviour therapy into several databases, which yielded many secondary references of current best evidence. Search filters developed consisted of a combination of subject headings. The topic-specific filters were combined with appropriate research design filters developed for systematic reviews, RCTs and other appropriate research designs. These articles were selected after careful reading of the title and abstract to identify the most useful. I then limited my search to full articles which made my search a lot easier. The definitive text that will be used to aid my search will be NICE Clinical Guidelines for Personality disorder 78. This guideline makes recommendations for the treatment and management of borderline personality disorder in adults and young people (under the age of 18) who meet criteria for the diagnosis in prim ary, secondary and tertiary care. Borderline personality disorder is present in just under 1% of the population, and is most common in early adulthood. Women present to services more often than men. Borderline personality disorder is often not formally diagnosed before the age of 18, but the features of the disorder can be identified earlier. Its course is variable and although many people recover (NICE 2009). This search will comprise both British and international articles. When choosing which articles were going to be relevant, I found it impossible to ignore the amount of articles I had on DBT and as DBT was evolved from CBT and made specifically for BPD, I decided to bring it into my research project. The articles are mixed quantitative and qualitative research. The qualitative means of gathering subjective data is centred on an individuals experience, beliefs, empowerment and quality of care and does not solely concentrate on clinical outcomes for the individual. One could argue that this is the most appropriate aspect of research for mental health nurses as mental illness is individual for each person involved in the process and although BPD is not a mental illness The National Service Framework for adult mental health sets out our responsibilities to provide evidence based, effective services for all those with severe mental illness, including people with personality disorder who experience significant distress or difficulty (NIMH 2003). While these can be misconceived as an easy option form of research, qualitative research offers rich, reflective and exhaustive data that is invaluable and has a profound contribution to make to take to practice. The qualitative evidence was li mited with regards to the treatments reviewed, with an emphasis on DBT. Quantitative research is a formal, objective, and rigorous statistical process for generating information about the world (Burns Grove 1999), whereby the researcher would gather a range of numerical data in order to answer the research question, or prove, disprove a hypothesis (Parahoo 2006). Philosophies or schools of thought in research are called paradigms (Parahoo 2006). One such paradigm is positivism. Parahoo (2006) asserts that positivism relies on observations by the human senses to create fact (empiricism), and believe in the unity of science, and the notion of cause and effect (determinism). The positivist researcher will endeavour to test a hypothesis or theory using the deductive process of a course of experiments. This paradigm utilises a quantitative approach in its research methods. For the positivists, quantitative research is believed to provide hard evidence and objective fact that can provide knowledge on which to base best practice (Parahoo 2006). Efficacy studies focus on the usefulness of a specific helping methodology for a particular kind of problem. Comparisons are made between the methodology in question and some other methodology between clients with some disorder who do receive the treatment and those who do not or between two different methodologies for treating the same disorder. These studies are carried out under controlled conditions. Many of the studies are well designed and demonstrate efficacy. In a healthcare context, efficacy indicates the capacity for beneficial change (or therapeutic effect) of a given intervention. Chapter 2 The Literature Review Having undertaken a critical review of the literature, I have come to explore a number of issues which I feel necessary to consider, key themes emerging from this literature review are the impact of CBT DBT on suicidal behaviours, the impact of CBT DBT on self-harming behaviours, and the impact of CBT DBT on engagement. This chapter sets out to explore these themes in more detail. The most appropriate research design to answer this is the RCT; therefore the evidence base reviewed comprised available RCTs undertaken in people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. The causes of borderline personality disorder are complex and remain uncertain. The following may all be contributing factors: genetics and constitutional vulnerabilities; neurophysiological and neurobiological dysfunctions of emotional regulation and stress; psychosocial histories of childhood maltreatment and abuse; and disorganisation of aspects of the behavioural system, most particularly the attachment system (NICE 2009). The history of specific psychological interventions designed to help people with borderline personality disorder is intertwined with changing conceptions of the nature of the disorder itself. Given the confusion that surrounds the nature of personality disorder, it is not surprising that this has impacted on NHS care for people with this diagnosis. Until recently, personality disorder services in the NHS had been diverse, spasmodic and inconsistent (Department of Health, 2003). Borderline personality disorder is particularly common among people who are drug and/or alcohol dependent, and within drug and alcohol services there will be more women with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder than men (Swartz 1990). Borderline personality disorder is also more common in those with an eating disorder (Zanarini et al., 1998), and also among people presenting with chronic self-harming behaviour (Linehan et al., 1991). 2.1 Defining Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a structured psychological treatment that focuses on helping a person make connections between their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. CBT was originally developed as a treatment for depression, and has since been modified for the treatment of people with personality disorders including borderline personality disorder. CBT focuses on altering the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours of patients by teaching them skills to challenge and modify beliefs, to engage in experimental reality testing, and to develop better coping strategies. The goals of these interventions are to decrease the conviction of delusional beliefs, and hence their severity, and to promote more effective coping and reductions in distress. This essay will attempt to assess the contribution of CBT the disorder by discussing reviews on efficacy and long term effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy  for borderline personality disorder (CBT for BPD) was developed on the premise that people with the disorder have learned distorted beliefs and thought patterns. These, in turn, result in the distressing emotional responses and behaviors that characterize borderline personality disorder. It is the initial objective of CBT for  BPD  to  identify the distorted, automatic thoughts and  beliefs held by the patient with borderline disorder.  Such beliefs outlined by Beck Freeman(1990) typically include those related to dependency (I am needy and weak),  distrust  (People will get me if I dont get them first), rigid, all-or-nothing (dichotomous) perceptions,  and other thought patterns  that characterize the main cognitive-perceptual symptoms of the disorder. These distorted thoughts are then modified by self-monitoring,  logical analysis and by questioning and testing them.  It is adapted for people with borderline personality disorder and pays attention to the structure of the therapy and the problems that can disrupt the therapeutic relationship , such as non-engagement in treatment, shifting problems and goals, losing focus on the aims of therapy, losing structure and lack of compliance with assignments (Davidson, 2000). In addition, CBT for BPD attempts to produce positive change by improving the attitude of the patient toward treatment, the enhancement of specific skills, and the reduction of hopelessness. The CBT therapist and the patient typically construct a list of specific problem areas. They then develop a set of tasks or exercises that generate and reinforce new attitudes, behaviors, and interpersonal strategies that replace the ones that have proven to be ineffective. Within the past 15 years, another, newer psychosocial treatment termed Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was developed. DBT combines standard cognitive behavioural techniques with acceptance based strategies, as well as strategies designed to keep the therapy balanced between change and acceptance (dialectical strategies). Marsha M. Linehan, a psychologist from the University of Washington in Seattle, developed DBT specifically for people with BPD, especially those who engage in frequent self-destructive and self-injurious behaviours. DBT is based on the belief that the symptoms of BPD result from biological impairments in the brain mechanisms that regulate emotional responses. The early behavioural effects of this impairment are magnified, as the person with this biological risk factor interacts with people who dont validate their emotional pain and dont help them learn effective coping skills. DBT has gained considerable favour in the treatment of BPD because of the results it ha s achieved in several research studies. It has been shown that DBT can be taught to and used by many, but not all, mental health professionals. For the time being this seriously limits the broad use of this effective treatment approach. DBT seeks to validate feelings and problems, but it balances this acceptance by gently pushing to make productive changes. DBT also deals with other opposing or dialectical tensions or conflicts that arise, such as the patients perceived need for a high level of dependence on the therapists and others, and the fear and guilt aroused by such excessive dependency. DBT combines both cognitive and behavioural techniques and designed specifically to treat BPD. It is a combination of individual psychotherapy and psychosocial skills training that has been shown via controlled clinical trial to be effective in treating individuals with BPD (Linehan, 1993b). In practice, the limiting factor in providing access to psychological therapies is the very small prop ortion of NHS staff trained to deliver these to a competent standard. Fourteen women with borderline personality disorder were interviewed to ascertain what is effective about DBT and why (Cunningham et al., 2004).Participants reported that DBT allowed them to see the disorder as a controllable part of themselves rather than something that controlled them, providing them with tools to help them deal with the illness. Service users reported that DBT had had a positive effect on their relationships in day-to-day interactions, and although problems with friends and family did not disappear, they were more manageable (NICE 2009). Clients also expressed higher levels of hope and a desire to live more independently (Cunningham et al., 2004) 2.2 Suicidal acts Definition: deliberate; life threatening; resulted in medical attention; medical assessment consistent with suicide attempt. Suicide is common in people with borderline personality disorder and may occur several years after the first presentation of symptoms (Paris Zweig-Frank, 2001). A well-documented association exists between borderline personality disorder and depression (Skodol et al., 1999; Zanarini et al., 1998), and the combination of the two conditions has been shown to increase the number and seriousness of suicide attempts (Soloff et al., 2000). People with borderline personality disorder may engage in a variety of destructive and impulsive behaviours including self-harm, eating problems and excessive use of alcohol and illicit substances. Self-harming behaviour in borderline personality disorder is associated with a variety of different meanings for the person, including relief from acute distress and feelings, such as emptiness and anger, and to reconnect with feelings after a period of dissociation. As a result of the frequency with which they self-harm, people with borderline personality di sorder are at increased risk of suicide (Cheng et al, 1997), with 60 to 70% attempting suicide at some point in their life (Oldham, 2006). The rate of completed suicide in people with borderline personality disorder has been estimated to be approximately 10% (Oldham, 2006). A behavioural approach to self-harm and suicidality that incorporated skills training in emotion regulation and validation of client experience developed into dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), a specific intervention for borderline personality disorder. Cognitive-behavioural therapy along the lines of Beck, Freeman, Associates (1990) has been investigated in at least two uncontrolled trials. Brown, Newman, Charlesworth, and Chrits-Cristoph (2003) found significant decreases on suicide ideation, hopelessness, depression, number of BPD symptoms, and dysfunctional beliefs after 1 year of cognitive-behavioural therapy for suicidal or self-mutilating patients with BPD. Results were maintained at a 6 months follow- up. Effect sizes were moderate (0.22-0.55). Dropout rate was 9.4%. Arntz (1999a) found positive effects of long-lasting cognitive-behavioural therapy in a mixed sample of personality disorders, including 6 patients with BPD. Two patients with BPD dropped out prematurely, but the other four attained good results. A randomized clinical trial was conducted by Linehan et al. (1991) with 44 subjects to evaluate the effectiveness of DBT for the treatment of chronically parasuicidal women who met criteria for BPD. Patients who received DBT had an average of 8.46 inpatient days per year compared to 38.86 days for the control group. It was also noted that it did not appear that there were differences between the two groups on measures of depression, hopelessness, suicide ideation, or reasons for living. Linehan et al. (1993) conducted a naturalistic follow-up review of 39 of these subjects to determine whether the effects of DBT were maintained over one year post treatment. In the 12 to 18 month period, subjects completing DBT had fewer parasuicidal episodes and fewer medically treated episodes. In the 18- to 24-month period, there were no significant between-group differences on parasuicide measurements, although psychiatric inpatient days during this time were lower for subjects in the DBT group. Rathus et al. (2002) conducted a study with a group of suicidal adolescents with borderline personality features. Participants included 111 outpatient admissions. Eighty-two participants were assigned to treatment as usual (TAU) and 29 were assigned to DBT. The groups were not randomized, but it was noted that there was more severe pre-treatment symptomtology in the DBT group than the TAU group. The group treated with DBT had significantly fewer inpatient psychiatric hospitalisations during the 12 weeks of treatment. The groups did not differ significantly in number of suicide attempts made during treatment. There was a slightly higher rate of treatment completion in the DBT group. Hengeveld et al (1996) report a case series of nine female outpatients who had attempted suicide on at least two occasions and were offered up to ten sessions of group CBT. Seven of the nine met criteria for personality disorder and of these four had borderline personality disorder. Ten months after the last session, recurrence of self-harm was examined using telephone contacts with participants and examination of hospital records. Four of the seven participants reported further suicide attempts all four had borderline personality disorder. Linehan et al. (2006) conducted a one-year randomized controlled trial with one year of post-treatment follow up. The objective was to evaluate the hypothesis that unique aspects of DBT are more efficacious compared to treatment offered by non-behavioural psychotherapy experts. The study included 101 female participants with recent suicidal and self-injurious behaviours that met DSM-IV criteria. The subjects who received DBT were half as likely to make a suicide attempt. 2.3 Suicidal acts Definition: deliberate; resulted in visible tissue damage, nursing or medical intervention required. Self-harming behaviour in borderline personality disorder is associated with a variety of different meanings for the person, including relief from acute distress and feelings, such as emptiness and anger, and to reconnect with feelings after a period of dissociation. As a result of the frequency with which they self-harm, people with borderline personality disorder are at increased risk of suicide (Cheng et al., 1997). Service users have been positive about DBT because it has helped them to improve their relationships and their ability to control their emotions and reduce self harm. However, while some valued the structure of the approach, others preferred the programme to be more tailored and flexible. In a large sample, Tyrer et al (2003) found that CBT was equivalent to TAU for the treatment of recurrent self-harm and noted that this method was less effective for patients with BPD. Brown (2004) conducted an uncontrolled cohort study participants with borderline personality disorder who reported suicidal ideation or engaged in self-injurious behaviour received weekly CBT over a 12-month period and were followed up over an 18-month period. Individual sessions lasting 1 hour were supplemented by access to emergency telephone contact with an on-call therapist between sessions. Verheul et al. (2003) conducted a randomized controlled study for the purpose of comparing the effectiveness of DBT with TAU for patients with BPD and to examine the impact of baseline severity on effectiveness. The study included 58 women who were randomized to either DBT or TAU and who received treatment over one year. The results included: DBT had a substantially lower 12-month attrition rate (37%) compared with TAU (77%); treatment with DBT resulted in greater reduction of self-mutilating and self-damaging impulsive acts than TAU. Van den Bosch et al. (2005) published a follow-up review of this study that examined whether the treatment results in the Verheul study were sustained over six-month follow-up or up to week 78. It was noted that in the six months after treatment discontinuation, the benefits of DBT over TAU in terms of lower levels of impulsive and self-mutilating behaviours were sustained. However, it must be noted that parasuicide activity had been defined in slightly different ways in the RCTs and therefore might not be comparable across studies. Alper (2001) presents outcome data on a case series of 15 court committed women with a clinical diagnosis of borderline personality disorder that underwent treatment with nurse-led DBT in an inpatient forensic setting. There was a reduction in the frequency of self-harm over the 4-week period. In addition, the authors conducted qualitative interviews with four nurses to describe their experience of administering DBT; their responses were uniformly positive. Bateman Tryer (2004) state that the widespread adoption of dialectical behaviour therapy is a tribute both to the energy and charisma of its founder, Marsha Linehan, and to the attractiveness of the treatment, with its combination of acceptance and change, skills training, excellent manualisation, and a climate of opinion that is willing and able to embrace this multifaceted approach. It is not, however, justified by the strength of the evidence (Tyrer, 2002b) and conclusions about the long-term effectiveness of this therapy as a treatment for the personality itself are premature. Since the original trial which was handicapped by many methodological limitations, there has only been one randomised study that supports the findings unequivocally, that of Verheul et al (2003). 2.4 Non-engagement For effective treatment, commitment to therapy is required, and research shows that fewer people drop out of DBT than other therapies (verheul et al 2003) According to service users interviewed by Haigh (2002), services could be improved if: professionals acknowledged that personality disorder is treatable; they received a more positive experience on initial referral as this would make engagement with a service more likely; if the ending of a therapeutic relationship was addressed adequately; and if services were not removed as soon as people showed any signs of improvement, because this tended to increase anxiety and discourage maintenance of any improvement. In a study by Hodgetts and colleagues (2007) of five people with borderline personality disorder being treated in a DBT service, the participants reported that DBT was presented to them as the only treatment for personality disorder. This may have raised anxieties in service users about what was expected of them. While some valued the sense of structure to the treatment, others would have preferred a more tailored and flexible approach. There were also mixed feelings about the co mbination of individual therapy and group skills training. For one person the challenges of DBT proved too much so she left the programme. Another factor in her leaving was that she believed she was refused supp

The Thought Process of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- William Shakespea

The Thought Process of Shakespeare's Hamlet "If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away, And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it then? His madness. If't be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong'd; His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy." (V.ii.230-235) Hamlet's self-description in his apology to Laertes, delivered in the appropriately distanced and divided third-person, explicitly fingers the greatest antagonist of the play†¹consciousness. The obligatory cultural baggage that comes along with Hamlet heeds little attention to the incestuous Claudius while focusing entirely on the gloomy Dane's legendary melancholia and his resulting revenge delays. As Laurence Olivier introduced his 1948 film version, "This is the tragedy of a man who couldn't make up his mind." By tracking the leitmotif of "thought" throughout the play, I will examine the conflicts that preclude Hamlet from unified decisions that lead to action. Shakespeare is not content, however, with the simple notion of thought as a mere signifier of the battle between the mind and the body. The real clash is a conflict of consciousness, of Hamlet's oscillations between infinite abstraction and shackled solipsism, between recognition of the heroic ideal and of his lim ited means, between the methodical mishmash of sanity and the total chaos of insanity. I repeat "between" not only for anaphoric effect, but to suggest Shakespeare's conception of thought; that is, a set of perspectivally-splintered realities which can be resolutely conflated, for better or worse, only by the mediating hand of action. Any discussion of Hamlet, a work steeped in contradictions and doubles, necessitates inquiry into passages ... ...ble that someday the legendary cultural baggage that accompanies Hamlet will be lost, and future generations may wish to judge the play on its dramatic merits and not on its required-reading position. If that is the case, they may very well "make" the play "bad" through their different perspective, one which we cannot yet appreciate, and Hamlet, already four centuries old, may disappear from our cultural consciousness. As the prince himself might say, perish the thought. Works Cited: Fredric Jameson, Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (Durham: Duke University Press, 1991). Franco Moretti, Modern Epic (New York: Verso, 1996). Marjorie Nicolson, "The Breaking of the Circle" (Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1950). William Shakespeare, The Arden Shakespeare: Hamlet, ed. Harold Jenkins (England: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1982).

Food security Essay

The role of urban agriculture in food security and healthy nutrition is probably the most important asset. Production of food in cities is in many cases a response of the urban poor to inadequate, unreliable and irregular access to food, and the lack of purchasing power. Urban agriculture, to a large extent, complements rural agriculture and increases the efficiency of the national food system in that it provides products that rural agriculture cannot supply easily. For instance perishable products that require rapid delivery upon harvest can be produced in cities where facilities are readily available. Environmental Urban agriculture has helped a lot in maintaining the environment that has been depleted so much. This can happen in several ways. For instance farmers use waste water for irrigational purposes in their farms. However farmers need to be trained in self protection during handling of the waste water, proper crop selection and adequate irrigation methods, among many other things. Farming in urban areas means rehabilitating the already depleted lands in the urban areas. By doing this, the farmers are able to help save the environment that has been wasted by pollution (DeWalt, 1985). 4. Case study, Washington D. C Urban agriculture was part of an historical welfare system during the 18th and 19th centuries in Washington D. C. Urban residents had access to areas of urban agriculture land that was distributed to meet the needs of urban inhabitants and all the people who lived in Washington D. C. Individuals who lived in and around the city had adequate land to practice urban agriculture (Ross, 2007). The history of urban agriculture in Washington was mainly meant to help reduce the number of poverty cases in the city (Ross, 2003). The growth and development of allowance gardens in Washington during the 20th century was in similar ways objectively aiming at supporting urban working class families and individuals. The problem today aims in the same direction, where growth and development of urban agriculture in Washington, more especially in low income areas, relates to problems of food quality, social welfare and public health. Nevertheless, urban agriculture in Washington today is made up of an increasing urban demand for organic local food production, particularly among the urban middle societies. Historically in Washington, a small number of upper class urban residents had access to very large areas of land (Ross, 2000). This group was not producing for self-support in first hand, but had the requirements of selling part of their locally produced harvest, as food was difficult to transport. Urban agriculture in Washington has thus had many functions of social welfare and commercial activity. Interesting historical lessons and comparisons can be made as we discuss the function and role of urban agriculture in Washington today (Ross, 1978). 5. Challenges and implementation Urban agriculture has faced a lot of challenges despite its many positive impacts. The use of waste water for irrigation without careful treatment and monitoring can result in the spread of diseases among the population. This has been a challenge to the urban agriculture and it has reduced the attitude of the urban residents towards the food products from urban farmers. Cultivation of food crops on contaminated land can cause health hazards for the consumers (Bell, 1998). This has led to decrease in demand of the urban agricultural products and it is the whole concept that lacks the benefits that it deserves. The cultivation of food crops and the rearing of animals along road sides facilitate the distribution of products to local markets. However, this poses some health risks since it exposes foods to a number of pollutants such as car emissions. It is evident that urbanization and agriculture are very incompatible. There has been stiff competition for the urban agriculture, for labor and resources, and it is unfortunate most individuals prefer to work in an industry or firms than to work in farms. This has led to poor labor as a factor of production and what results is the poor output in the food production. The practice of urban agriculture has been criticized by those who believe in industrial food production. The critics argue that food can be produced at larger volumes and perfect quality in a more efficient and sustainable way. This criticism has led to many people lacking trust in the urban agricultural products (Bell, 1998). The only mean of implementing the methods of urban agriculture will be through educating the public about the importance of embracing the culture. Addressing issues on genetic applications in food production will be important in acceptance of the novel technologies by the public. The companies applying advanced technologies in agriculture should not hide anything from the farmers (Clark, 1999).Water treatments systems should be improved to ensure that water used for agricultural food production is safe for human health. Reference: Amin, S. (2002). Africa: Living on the Fringe. Monthly Review (March), pp. 41-50. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from, http://polisci. osu. edu/faculty/mcooper/ps597readings/Amin. pdf Bell, J. (1998). A Greener Than Green Revolution? Seedling (Newsletter of GRAIN Retrieved May 3, 2010 from, http://www. grain. org/publications/dec982-en. cfm Bruno, K. (1992). The Corporate capture of the Earth Summit. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://multinationalmonitor. org/hyper/issues/1992/07/mm0792 07. html Clark, E. (1999). Ten Reasons Why Farmers Should Think Twice Before Growing GE Crops. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from, http://www. plant. uoguelph. ca/research/homepages/eclark/10reasons. htm DeWalt, B. (1985). Mexico’s Second Green Revolution: Food for Feed. Mexican Studies / Estudios Mexicanos, 1(1):29-60. FAO. (n. d). Overall strategic framework. Retrieved May 4, 2010, from http://www. fao. org/docrep/X3550e/x3550e03. htm Feder, E. (1970). Counterreform. In Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Agrarian Problems and Peasant Movements in Latin America. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from, http://www. ditext. com/feder/counterreform. html Langevin, M & Rosset, P. (1997). Land Reform from Below: The Landless Workers Movement in Brazil. Retrieved May 4, 2010 from, http://www. mstbrazil. org/rosset. html Martine, G. , Guzman, J. M. , & Schensul, D. (2008). The Growing Food Crisis: Demographic Perspectives and Conditioners. Retrieved May 4th, 2010 from http://km. fao. org/fileadmin/user_upload/fsn/docs/UNFPAFoodCrisis_Demographics Nov19-versionMarch20. pdf Neondo, H. (2003). Kenya-Experts call for Urba

Me and Music Essay

As the earphones filled my ears with wonder I could feel nothing more than the ecstasy I was in. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered. At that time I could feel nothing more than the shadows that covered my heart, but the music I heard inspired me in such a way that no one else could understand the way I felt. I was beautiful, the world was beautiful, and nothing else could possibly be as beautiful as the way I feel. When I stopped the music, I became quiet, the world became quiet, and everything simply stopped. This is the only time I can say that I truly heard music. I used to be very social, very active, like a fish in the gigantic ocean. I used to have lots of friends, and a girlfriend who I was deeply in love with. That love story last for a year. We broke up after a year, when I still loved her so much. I became a silent boy and cut all the connections with friends as same as outside world. It was a hurricane came and almost drowned me and in this violent raging storm and I lost my way. I clung to music as if it was a raft for life, as if it was a key for me to make it up living in this world. Somehow it worked. Not just worked, but worked well. After a long summer †¦ I came back to school. It was my first day at school and I all I can remember was the first moment I put on my headphones and pressed play on my blue Sony Walkman, which later became my joy. The album playing was â€Å"Crush† by Bon Jovi and each song became instantly carved into my memory. It felt like it was a whole new world and I finally opened my eyes and just stepped into this fantasy world and everything else around me lost its importance. It was a feeling that just took everything that was wrong, messed up, confusing and painful inside of me and transformed it into something that I knew for the first time was right. The pain was still there but I found a way to just keep in check so that no one else would have to ask me these dreadful questions that brought me so much pain every time I heard â€Å"Are you OK?† and â€Å"Do you want to talk?†. I knew that there was something wrong when other people think about me as a quiet guy who doesn’t have any friends and listens to music all the time. To be honest, I have friends, but just about 2, or 3. I didn’t feel like making new friends at school and I prefer to find some form of happiness from music no matter how little it was. Music came to me not only as a form of relief, but it’s a way for me to express something, maybe not to other people, but to myself. It showed me that I still have personal feelings, and that I was even remotely normal. Back to school, me alone and music, I felt its ok; it’s going to be ok, at first. But just by the end of the day, when I got home, alone, thinking about other people at school, enjoy with their friends, I realized that music wasn’t going to be able to be my life raft so I clung to something, what some consider dark and fed off this darkness. I need friends in my life. I need friends to cheer up my gloomy life. I just want to be like them, like other people who got friends. As the days, weeks and months went on that I talked and gained new friends, I found that my life boat was becoming less and less needed as people were finally starting to accept me for me. The darkness and pain are still there, locked up deep inside where no one can hear there violent screams but now I know that I have more than just my music and lifeboat because when another storm comes, I have others who can help me survive.

Silence of the lambs essays

Silence of the lambs essays How do the features of narrative and genre create meaning and generate response within the audience? The film starts with a high angle establishing shot of a forest setting, with the diegetic sounds of stereotypical forest or mountain area sound effects such as the chirps of insects and the distant calls of an eagle. The camera then tilts downwards to show the lead protagonist jogging towards us, Agent Clarice Starling (Foster.) As she draws near her footsteps become clearer which are heavily treading through the leaves and branches. The non-diegetic music has classical elements and is similar to the characters movements, which keeps building up and down and remains somewhat tense throughout the first few minutes. The camera then switches to a mid-tracking shot and follows her from behind. This jog could represent the characters journey that is about to begin, as she ducks and dives through trees and pushes on. She is wearing casual exercise clothing, which tells us little about the character other than she likes, or has to keep fit. As the scene progresses there is a side tra cking shot close up on her face displaying sweat and determination and indicating to the audience that she is quite tired. The camera then switches to a similar shot but of her feet running along the forest path. She is soon interrupted by a mans voice which she stops and confronts, we then discover that she is in fact linked to the FBI and has been called to her seniors. Having been sent to an office of some description, the next part of the scene starts with the main character jogging towards a new area. This contains marching military personnel in camouflage gear and the diegetic sounds of gun fire in the background indicating to the audience that this is come kind of military complex. An establishing shot ensues showing what appears to be the main building, and the next part of our protagonists journey. She makes her way throu...

Positive Effects of Reality Television Essays

Positive Effects of Reality Television Essays Positive Effects of Reality Television Paper Positive Effects of Reality Television Paper Reality Television Its Sunday night, the work is done and you are ready to sit down and relax. You walk down the stairs, make some popcorn, cuddle up on the couch, and flip on your favorite reality television show. On that Sunday evening you will not only have one reality show to choose from but many because reality television is becoming commonplace. These shows range from competitions to find your future spouse to episodes documenting the life of celebrities. What each show has in common is that is highlights interpersonal relationships. While most parents are stealing the remote o prevent their children from watching reality television, they should be doing the opposite. Even though many believe these shows destroy society, more evidence indicates that the shows benefit and assist people, encouraging them to strengthen their own relationships and make smart decisions within them. Due to reality television becoming more popular it is important to understand its true effects. Reality television shows benefit relationships by providing positive tips, lessons, and examples of what a healthy and positive relationship should be. One type of interpersonal relationships is romantic relationships, which are often expressed on reality dating shows. The heart of dating reality television is Abss The Bachelor. Every season is about a single, handsome, and successful man that is introduced to 25 stunning women in hopes that one of them will be his future wife. Week by week he sends one of the women packing back to her home. At the end of the six-week period he will have one dream woman remaining to whom he will propose. The Bachelor is a great example off program that positively benefits the relationships of viewers. Dana Cloud, a Communication Studies professor, studies their investment and influence that is the result of their attachment and commitment. She disputes that the viewers emotional investment in the show stirs trouble in their own personal relationships. Cloud believes the overload of viewers attachment in the show is obvious by social media comments. On twitter one user tweeted twice in one day about the program and her opinions; these users help verify the attachment of many viewers (Roth). While Cloud argues their investment is negative, psychology suggests the viewers are benefiting from it. Tiffany Brewer argues, The general premise of the social cognitive theory is that people learn from observing others actions and attitudes and the consequences they face as a result. This process is known as modeling and is a core premise of entertainment education (12). The theory implies that viewers are going to apply the positive behavior to their own personal romantic relationships and learn what not to do from the negative behavior by investing themselves in the reality programs. The Bachelor not only benefits the viewers but also many of the participants. Many of the couples that became engaged at the end of the season have moved on past the show and created families. Ryan Suttee the winner of Triads heart from season one of The Bachelors tweeted, Beautiful day to spend with my beautiful wife and kids. So grateful! Him and Tristan have been married for over ten years now and have children. Another example off beneficial relationship is Jason and Molly another chance. Jason, who had a kid from a previous marriage, is now married to Molly and they have a newborn baby. Molly posted a tweet after her baby was born eying, Thank you everyone for all of the well wishes! Riley is such a dream and couldnt be more perfect! We are so happy and in love!!!! #Erlenmeyers. Both of these tweets suggest that the show has benefited couples from The Bachelor. Dating shows are not the only types of reality television shows that affect relationships. In addition to romantic relationships reality television involving competitions, such as The Amazing Race, improve existing relationships between friends and family. The Amazing Race is a reality game show, which typically eleven teams of two race around the world. These partners range from husband and wife to mother and her son racing roughly twelve legs interspersed with physical and mental challenges. Critics have argued reality games shows bring out the worse sides of the contestants, but actually most contestants seem to have really positive experiences. Terry Gross, the host of Philadelphia public radio, offered contestants his opinion that shows like The Amazing Race are designed to bring out the worst in people because you have to be brutally competitive, incredibly aggressive, and honest in the cruelest sense. While Gross is arguing these game shows are punishing relationships, CBS offers elimination interviews of the contestants that imply the opposite. One team, Jessica and John, stated, [a]after running around the world and having your view expanded it makes it more clear than ever how fortunate all of us are. For Jessica and John The Amazing Race offered the insight to appreciate one another in order to strengthen their relationship. Many other couples agree that the show has been beneficial. Another couple Pam and Winnie commented, we would do it again in a heartbeat. We loved the Race so much. We would do it again even if there was no prize money. Their quote also provides evidence on how The Amazing Race gave them an opportunity of a lifetime that they were able to experience together only helped make them closer. There are many sources that support the the participants arguing the benefits of The Amazing Race. In 2006, National Geographic Magazine published an article declaring, [I]f anyone can tell you how to travel outside your comfort zone, embrace risk, and come back alive, its the Winners of TVs The Amazing Race (Whiners). The contestants are facing these risky challenges gather and are experiencing these challenges together, making them stronger. While The Amazing Race takes people to exotic locations, 16 Pregnant is reality television revealing people in their day-to-day life. Mats hit show affects both the viewers and reality stars. 16 Pregnant focuses much more on the relationships between parent and child not only with the newborn, but also with the tens parent as well. The show follows the lives of pregnant teenagers and films the struggles with teen pregnancy. 6 Pregnant has shown positive correlations with one of the main issues in The United States, teen pregnancy. MET paired with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to help reduce the rates of teen pregnancy. The campaign published an article revealing facts about teen pregnancy and noted that in 2006 when the rates spiked about 164 out of 1,000 teens became pregnant. The article confirms that MET is working with t he campaign to help viewers understand the fundamental problems of teen pregnancy. In 2009, the first read that [a]approximately 39 births and 72 pregnancies occur per 1,000 girls age 15-19 (Fast Facts). This evidence suggests that 16 Pregnant has led to a decrease in teen pregnancy. After viewing the negative effects of teen pregnancy on the show, teenagers are making better decisions when it comes to their sexual involvement. A research was done to help understand the effects of the program. The paper read: Teenagers are being positively reinforced by watching 16 and Pregnant. Through the use of ads during the show and through the struggles each teen mom encounters, MET is teaching the audience a very valuable lesson: that waiting to have sex and practicing safe sex are the best ways to avoid becoming pregnant as a teenager. Understanding 3) This article lays out partnership formed with MET and advertising nannies as an effort to reduce teen pregnancy. The shows sole purpose, according to MET, is to educate teens and encourage smart decisions within their relationships. 16 and Pregnant captures the building of relationships between not only the teenager and her child but also the teenager and her parent. By observing the behaviors presented on television, viewers are learning how to make smart decisions to help create healthy relationships. Even though many of the examples of behavior shown on television are negative, viewers can still learn by observing according to the theory presented by Tiffany Brewer. Her study on teenagers provides additional evidence that indicates the positive effect of the reality program. She surveyed a group of teenage viewers to bring to the light the lesson they are learning through watching 16 Pregnant each week, after she was done surveying, the most common response was people thought more about the consequences of their actions. The balancing of financial costs, schoolwork, social activities, and a child can be a hassle. The episodes display the legitimate challenges and how a teenager should approach handling the situation. The relationships grow and develop with onscreen inversion and while viewers watch the interactions they will grasp tips and ideas on how to reach out to communicate with their own family members. This exposure will open up conversation about sexual behaviors between parents and their children. It will provide a comforting stance for families to be more open with one another. By making a reality television show center on the issue of teen pregnancy, they are raising awareness in young people and influencing them to make intelligent decisions within their relationship. (Session) 16 Pregnant is not the only show that MET has produced to raise awareness for an issue. The series Catfish is another example off reality television show that affects the audience by opening their eyes to a controversy. Catfish is a television series on MET that is based off of the original documentary about a young man named Yanks Coalman who had a strange experience with online dating. He discovered that the person he had been talking to was actually an older woman faking her identity as a youthful, beautiful girl. Yanks created the series to help others in society who are dealing with similar situations. While some believe Catfish is only boosting the amount of fake online identities, the program similar to 16 Pregnant, addresses the issue and makes viewers aware of the stranger dangers lurking online. Providing knowledge of the mishaps can be used as a guide and relationships (Calendar). While many of societys immediate thoughts are that reality television shows have a negative effect on relationships, there is more evidence to support their broadcasting. Reality television has increasing become more popular within the past 10 years and it is important that society knows the effects of watching it. Reality television is benefiting real life relationships of stars and those who tune in to watch t every evening by providing with great experiences and both positive and negative examples of relationships.

Bruhathkayosaurus - Facts and Figures

Bruhathkayosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Bruhathkayosaurus (Greek for huge-bodied lizard); pronounced broo-HATH-kay-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of India Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago) Size and Weight: Up to 150 feet long and 200 tons, if it really existed Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Enormous size; long neck and tail About Bruhathkayosaurus Bruhathkayosaurus is one of those dinosaurs that comes with a lot of asterisks attached. When the remains of this animal were discovered in India, in the late 1980s, paleontologists thought they were dealing with an enormous theropod along the lines of the ten-ton Spinosaurus of northern Africa. On further examination, though, the discoverers of the type fossil speculated that Bruhathkayosaurus was actually a titanosaur, the huge, armored descendants of the sauropods that roamed every continent on earth during the Cretaceous period. The trouble is, though, that the pieces of Bruthathkayosaurus that have been identified so far dont convincingly add up to a complete titanosaur; its only classified as one because of its enormous size. For example, the supposed tibia (leg bone) of Bruhathkayosaurus was almost 30 percent bigger than that of the much-better-attested   Argentinosaurus, meaning that if it really was a titanosaur it would have been by far the biggest dinosaur of all timeas much as 150 feet long from head to tail and 200 tons. Theres a further complication, which is that the provenance of the type specimen of Bruhathkayosaurus is dubious at best. The team of researchers that unearthed this dinosaur left out some important details in their 1989 paper; for example, they included line drawings, but not actual photographs, of the recovered bones, and also didnt bother to point out any detailed diagnostic characteristics that would attest to Bruhathkayosaurus truly being a titanosaur. In fact, in the absence of hard evidence, some paleontologists believe that the alleged bones of Bruhathkayosaurus are actually pieces of petrified wood! For now, pending further fossil discoveries, Bruhathkayosaurus languishes in limbo, not quite a titanosaur and not quite the largest land-dwelling animal that ever lived. This isnt an unusual fate for recently discovered titanosaurs; pretty much the same can be said about Amphicoelias and Dreadnoughtus, two other violently disputed contenders for the title of Biggest Dinosaur Ever.

Personal Statement about international relations and politics

About international relations and politics - Personal Statement Example For this reason, I seek to undertake a pathway that despite being long enlightens me regarding the complex nature of human interactions and the associated issues. No action can be considered good if it fails to align with the benefits of the society as a whole. My choice of studying humanities along with social science is largely based on these beliefs and I hope to excel in my subjects due to my immense interest in the subjects. I intend to pursue a career in the international relations and politics at the University of Edinburgh, for which I intend to stay at the university for an extended period of time. My willingness to take on this course stems from my natural inclination towards the issues pertaining to human beings. I strongly believe that the pains and sufferings of humans can only be relieved by the actions of other humans. Those who are politically empowered to take actions are in a better position to serve humanity. Also, since the modern world is rapidly transforming into a global village; the actions and interactions of various countries directly or indirectly affect the lives of individuals on a global scale. This extreme interconnectedness and the consequences of this phenomenon are manifested in the lives of people in shorter periods of time; and this trend is increasingly becoming a norm. In the ‘jungle’ of globe, everyone is your friend and everyone is your enemy – the only thing that guides the behaviors of countries towards others is ‘interest’. Moral values are set aside in matters of international level and it is the mutual interest that guides and runs the international businesses. I strongly feel that an understanding of the relationships of different countries is essential to understand the expected and unexpected upcoming events. Knowledge about the international relationships of

Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Obesity - Research Paper Example Most Americans have adopted a culture of taking fast/convenient foods instead of cooking food at home. This behavior is particularly extravagant among children. Children prefer taking sweetened drinks and snacks for lunch instead of taking full meals. Sweetened drinks and snacks contain a high content of calories. Routine taking of high calories foods leads to accumulation of fats in the body and thus children become obese. Due to the addictiveness of convenient foods, children end up taking more fast foods and lesser healthy foods. The lifestyles that most American families have adopted contribute to obesity. Children are not involved in physical activities. Children have little or no play time. Physical exercise activities have been proven to reduce effectively accumulated calories in the body. The same children who take high intake of junk food do not participate in any forms of physical exercise. The children thus end up being obese. USA’s economic status has improved. The rates of unemployment have reduced and thus a large percentage of the population is in a ‘good’ socio-economic status. Therefore, most American children can afford to buy fast foods. Moreover, mot junk foods are associated with people of a certain higher social class, and, therefore, most children want to take them. Purchasing and taking a lot of junk food leads to children being obese. The business of selling fast foods is doing very well in the USA. The kind of advertisements being used is very appealing. Most of the advertisements make an impression that the foods are very sweet and healthy. The health risk of these foods is not included in the advertisements. Most people fall into the advertisements trap and end up purchasing them and, in the long run, suffer from obesity. There is little education among the children and the parents on the dangers of taking junk food and the need for physical exercise. This has led to the current imbalance in

Editing Practices of Robert Loomis and Strauss-Gabel Essay

Editing Practices of Robert Loomis and Strauss-Gabel - Essay Example The editing practices and approaches between the two editors cum publishers are inconsistent. It is because they practiced editing at different generations and times. Loomis practiced editing earlier than Strauss-Gabel, who is to date actively involved in editing. Loomis approached the practice of editing in a classic and old-fashioned. His approach was understated as well as uncanny, polite as well as persistent and fierce/tough as well as tender. His approach in the practice of editing was thus diametrically opposed to that employed by Strauss-Gabel, which was less old-fashioned but instead more modern. She approached editing in a manner that was strictly tough, intimidating and offered stinging critiques. She believed it was the only way to get the best result from editing. Loomis, on the other hand, had a look warm approach of neither tough nor soft (Norton 67).In my view, the two editors shared a common strategy of getting the best results by actively collaborating with the writ er. Their editing practices, approaches, and techniques were aimed at working collaboratively with authors in the development phases of the books. It was to make sure that the editing and design of the book were best suited to for its marketing. It led to them becoming highly sought after by many authors. Their editing practices stood out from the rest and were highly successful. Their strategies and approach to the practice of editing has enabled them nurture writers and be a mentor for fellow editors in the general industry of publishing.

This is NOT a paper- it is answering 5 questions-ea 1 pg Essay

This is NOT a paper- it is answering 5 questions-ea 1 pg - Essay Example She was also concentrating on the costumes of the dance and dancers. The Times Magazine has named her as â€Å"Dancer of the Country†. She contributed 70 years of her life for the Dance company. Her one more experimentation was dancing and revealing Human movements. Where as Rainer went one step further by becoming a filmmaker. He too looks similar with that of Martha Graham in revealing social events but differed from her from his revelation of the political side of the society also. His work is associated with skepticism. He tried out finding the difference between irony and cynicism which is also a missing concept in the works of Martha Graham. Though both of them had the similar option of revealing what place art has found in the daily activities of the society? But Rainer seems to have gone a little more by finding how he could reveal the concept of changes that take place in a society, where as Graham restricted her works only with human movements. While analyzing the services rendered by both to the world of choreography, Graham seems to have crossed the perfect contributor. Pina Bausch is a choreographer of modern dance. She pioneered the Tanztheatre style of Dance , a leading and influential dance works which came out from the German Expressionist Dance . She was sent to ballet dance in her childhood. Her dance performances includes a lot of German style of dancing and ballet with the concept of male and female interaction . This theme is found in almost all her works. She has given way for a neo-expressionist style, dramatic and surrealist settings in her work of dance. This could be seen in her work Carnations[1983]. She has choreographed on stages with dirt or carnations of water covered over it . Men and women are found flirting tenderly then moving and flying each other violently towards inside. These are the qualities found in her works. Lin-Huai-Min, is the founder of a well known and famous Chinese Modern Dance Group called

Non hodgkins lymphoma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Non hodgkins lymphoma - Essay Example These cancerous cells multiply and completely destroy the lymph nodes, tissues and vessels and later spreading (metastasizing) to other organs of the body. Lymphatic system of our bodies consists of many different parts. These are the lymph vessels, the lymph fluid and the lymph nodes. The entire lymphatic system consists of a large network of the lymph vessels that spread to all parts of the body tissues by branching and forming a network. These vessels carry the clear lymph fluid, chyle, white blood cells (mainly the smaller lymphocytes comprising of the T cells and the B cells) and also other blood cells to various parts of the body. Lymph nodes are the small pea shaped globular bodies found mainly along the way of the large blood vessels in the neck region, the chest, underarms, the abdomen and pelvis region and also in the groins. Lymph vessels are connected to these nodes and they act as filter removing harmful substances (if any) like the bacteria, from the lymph fluid. The lymphatic fluids along the lymphocytes re enter the circulatory system via the upper left part of the chest. The lymphatic system also consists of the spleen , the tonsils and the thymus gland. As the lymphatic tissue is present in many parts of the body including the bone marrow, the stomach and the small intestine, the non Hodgkins lymphoma can occur almost anywhere anytime. Though, it has been noticed that, the first to get affected are generally the lymph nodes which get enlarged when affected by the lymphoma. There are many types of non Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) that are generally seen but all can be grouped under two main types. These are the slow growing or the indolent type and the second is the fast growing or the aggressive lymphoma variety. There is also a third variety which is the intermediate type. The NHL most often than not, form from the T cells or the B cells of the lymphocytes. The lymphocytes which form a part of the white

Human Resource Development at Primark Stores Ltd Research Proposal

Human Resource Development at Primark Stores Ltd - Research Proposal Example During the study an effort will be made to observe the general working at Primark store in Manchester to seek answers to the following key objectives. Prerequisite to a decent work culture is about respecting individuals and treating everyone, customers and colleagues, with dignity. How Primark has been able to adopt a balancing approach towards motivating the workforce. Research approaches and methods radically influence research content and, consequently, the policies designed in response to that content. Research philosophy is a belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analyzed and used. This thesis is a qualitative case study which focuses on an analysis of the HR policies prevailing in the retail industry in general and Primark in particular. To carry out such a study in general we resort to two main approaches; Deductive reasoning, which works from the more general to the more specific subjects. Sometimes this is informally called a "top-down" approach. In such approach we take up the 'theory' and then try to apply it to the hypotheses that we intend to test. Gradually we narrow down to the testing of data and observations for their applicability to the theory/ theories to arrive at a confirmation of its applicability or not. The Inductive approach on the other hand begins with collecting data, specific observations, which then lead to broader generalization and theories. Such an approach in called as "bottom up" approach. The patterns thus detected are formulated into tentative hypotheses and we can therefore arrive at some general conclusion about our subject. In this case the study will be more of an inductive one as I'll be observing the functioning of the store, talking to the boys and girls out there about there working hours, compensation etc. During the process I'll also be interacting with some customers to solicit there views about the Primark and the employees in general. Data Collection Secondary Sources: Such data can be collected from the existing literature, research reports, company leaflets, information brochure etc. Primary Sources: Such data can be collected by interacting with the staff, management, customers and other stakeholders. By observing the working and the supply/ distribution chain also we can gather first hand data. It will be little difficult to interact with the top management of the company but I will surely try to meet some of the seniors at the retail outlet. Time Scale and Resources Efforts would be made to complete the different modules of the project leading to the completion of the project as per the following timeline (Note-These are completion dates). Submission of Proposal: Oct 12, 2007 Interaction with the Tutor: October 16, 2007 Inclusion of suggestions by the tutor: October 17, 2007 Preparation of questionnaire: October 25, 2007 Data

Non hodgkins lymphoma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Non hodgkins lymphoma - Essay Example These cancerous cells multiply and completely destroy the lymph nodes, tissues and vessels and later spreading (metastasizing) to other organs of the body. Lymphatic system of our bodies consists of many different parts. These are the lymph vessels, the lymph fluid and the lymph nodes. The entire lymphatic system consists of a large network of the lymph vessels that spread to all parts of the body tissues by branching and forming a network. These vessels carry the clear lymph fluid, chyle, white blood cells (mainly the smaller lymphocytes comprising of the T cells and the B cells) and also other blood cells to various parts of the body. Lymph nodes are the small pea shaped globular bodies found mainly along the way of the large blood vessels in the neck region, the chest, underarms, the abdomen and pelvis region and also in the groins. Lymph vessels are connected to these nodes and they act as filter removing harmful substances (if any) like the bacteria, from the lymph fluid. The lymphatic fluids along the lymphocytes re enter the circulatory system via the upper left part of the chest. The lymphatic system also consists of the spleen , the tonsils and the thymus gland. As the lymphatic tissue is present in many parts of the body including the bone marrow, the stomach and the small intestine, the non Hodgkins lymphoma can occur almost anywhere anytime. Though, it has been noticed that, the first to get affected are generally the lymph nodes which get enlarged when affected by the lymphoma. There are many types of non Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) that are generally seen but all can be grouped under two main types. These are the slow growing or the indolent type and the second is the fast growing or the aggressive lymphoma variety. There is also a third variety which is the intermediate type. The NHL most often than not, form from the T cells or the B cells of the lymphocytes. The lymphocytes which form a part of the white

American Sign Language Essay Example for Free

American Sign Language Essay For years psychologists have debated and tried to find out how our individual behaviour is gained- are we born with it or do we gain it through experience? Many psychologists have tried to find ways in which they can measure if our behaviour is learnt or inherited but these psychologists have encountered problems while doing so.  One problem that psychologists have when investigating whether behaviour is learned or inherited is actually finding a task that can be given to all of the different participants. Psychologists carrying out an experiment to find out about behaviour usually have participants which are different in some way, for example different sexes, different cultures, different levels of intelligence. Deregowski conducted a cross cultural experiment to see if people from different cultures perceive pictures the same. He found that the African children spent a lot of time looking at the pen and paper as they had never before seen or used them in their life. The same task has to be given to all of the participants as the same dependant variable is being measured and this is a big problem as it decreases the reliability of the results. Another problem is that it is very difficult to separate genetics and our experience as we begin learning from the moment we are born. This makes it hard to find a task that can measure just the intelligence we are born with because as long as we are on this planet, we are constantly learning new things that make us more intelligent. Gould carried out an experiment to measure peoples native intellectual ability (the intelligence we are a born with which is unaffected by culture and educational opportunities). The experiment clearly didnt measure native intellectual ability, as you needed to know about American culture to answer the questions. Even thought the experiment was biased and favoured Americans, it is still a good example of how difficult it is to measure our native intellectual ability because Goulds aim for the experiment was to measure this but this obviously proved to be very difficult. Other psychologists have tried to measure the intellectual ability we are born with but many have began to question whether we can ever make a task that measures our native intellectual ability. The only way we come very close to separating our learned and inherited ability is if we separate two identical twins at birth and put them into different environments. We could put one into an environment where a very minimal amount of behaviour is learnt from experience. For example we could put the twin into an empty room with no contact with the outside world and hardly any human contact (somewhat like a prison). The other twin can lead a normal life by going to school, interacting with other people etc. We can then observe the two twins in later life and if their behaviour is very similar or the same, it proves that behaviour is inherited. If the twin who lived in the outside world is more developed that the twin who was shut away from the world, it would prove that our behaviour is gained through experience. This is the only ideal way to investigate whether behaviour is learned or inherited but is this method ethical? Gardner Gardner wanted to see whether a chimpanzee could communicate in American Sign Language and the only way they could investigate their aim was to treat a chimpanzee like a human and take it out of its natural habitat. They proved that a chimpanzee could communicate in ASL but the experiment was criticised by many people who thought it was unethical.

US Political Polarization: Republicans and Democrats

US Political Polarization: Republicans and Democrats Partisanship has always existed in the United States. Though, there have been periods of decline and resurgence. But since the 1970s America has seen an increase in â€Å"party unity† votes in Congress. From 2009 to 2012 party unity votes was around 70%, a clear indication of polarization in Washington.[1] The ideological differences that exist within Congress is also indicative of the attitude of the general public. A majority of people are willing to call themselves Democrats or Republicans. â€Å"Party identification, like other attitudes, affects beliefs as well as opinions.†[2] Party affiliation is a significant tool to predict tendencies of voters, those that associate themselves with the Republican Party tend to vote Republican and those associated with the Democratic Party tend to vote Democrat. Presidential performance ratings are indication of polarization amongst the parties. Republicans tend to give a higher approval rating for Republicans and lower rating f or Democrats, and the opposite is true for Democrats.[3] Elections and politics in America have become more polarized than ever before. The foundation that created a more polarized America can be found in the changes in the media, campaign financing, and the way candidates are elected. The history of news media is one of an evolution of technology, practices, and regulatory environments that transformed the views of America. Years ago, the choices for Americans to get their news were limited to a few TV networks and local newspapers. The government instituted regulations over the broadcast news, such as the equal time provision-which required stations to provide equal access to candidates for office. The long standing FCC policy called the fairness doctrine perhaps was the most impactful in broadcast news. The policy created a condition in which news outlets were not targeting distinct core beliefs. Instead, the policy â€Å"required that stations devote a share of airtime to public affairs programming, and that they do so in a manner that is balanced and equitable.† [4] So essentially, people received the similar information at the same time. In the past the national news was delivered by few weekly papers but technological advances brought a great potentia l market of viewers. The introduction of cable and internet made mass communication easier and cheaper. In 2010, nearly every household in America had access to either: radio, television, and at least one mobile device.[5] Americans enjoy a greater variety of view points, and this abundance of new implies political polarization can occur. Consumers of new media rely on news source they find as reliable and tend to avoid information that contradicts their prior beliefs. Fox news a conservative news outlet has a high believability percentage among Republicans (77% in 2012) and a low believability percentage among Democrats (37% in 2012).[6] Liberal media outlets have a similar ratings, high believability among Democrats and low believability among Republicans. It is safe to assume those with conservative beliefs are more likely to tune into a conservative media outlet and those with liberal views are more likely to tune into a liberal media outlet. These media outlets provide a common narrative on current events, a narrative that is suited for their audience. The audiences in turn are being told what they want to hear. And with the capabilities of the internet, the media outlets are able to target specific audiences and tailor information to reinforce what they already believe. This abundance of new outlets and targeting by the media contributes to political polarization. Modern campaigns for federal office are generally very expensive. Assembling campaign teams, raising funds, hiring consultants and technical specialists are all activities that cost money. There is no way for most candidates to organize and run a competitive campaign without the flow of money. Currently, money spent on major federal campaigns comes from private sources.[7] Money coming in from private sources raises a couple of problems in elections. Money is distributed unequally, so it threatens democratic equality, meaning, someone with more money could have more influence on the outcome. This also raises the concern that elected officials are more willing to serve their contributors than their constituents. This is entirely possible and could lead to elected officials taking more extreme positions on issues in order to please their contributors. For its part the federal government has stepped in to regulate the flow of campaign financing, creating the FEC to enforce law and to co llect and publish detailed information on campaign contributions. A 2010 Supreme Court decision banned all limits on independent spending led to the creation of SuperPACs. SuperPacs are essentially independent committees pushing their own agenda to support a candidate or attack a candidate. Unfortunately, candidates have no control over the SuperPACs and how they spend their money. Nearly $1.3 billion was spent independently on federal campaigns by parties and PACs in 2012.[8] The money generated by the SuperPACS is mostly spent to purchase television adverstising. In 2012, over 3 million political ads aired from January 1 through Election Day.[9] There was a substantial increase in volume and cost of political ads from 2008 to 2012 and a substantial increase in attack ads from 51% of ads aired in 2008 were attack ads to 61% in 2012.[10] At the same time, nonparty independent expenditures in congressional elections grew from $120 million in 2008 to $500 million in 2012.[11] Perhaps there is a correlation between attack ads and raising campaign funds. A campaigns ability to demonize an opponent, which provokes fear and anger among his constituents, is enough to motivate the candidate’s base to donate and turn out to vote. Polarization in Congress is not new. The extent of Congressional polarization depends on many factors, one being Primary Elections. Elections in Primaries differ than those in a general election. In Primary elections candidates tend to shift their positions either to the left or right end of the spectrum. Once they secured their party’s nomination, they shift their position to a more moderate position to attract independent voters. Candidates follow this method of campaigning because Primary constituents are more extreme than those in a general election.[12] Elections in the America preserves American democracy. Allowing citizens to pick their representatives and replace those that under performed. â€Å"The threat of replacement provides elected officials with a powerful incentive to listen to their constituents.†[13] Some voters may punish representatives that make an unpopular vote on issues by replacing him with another representative. This competition in primaries help create polarization within Congress.[14] When faced with competition in the primary election candidates tend to take extreme positions. Republicans candidates that face no competition/opponent had an average primary position .77 and those that encountered an opponent had an average primary position of .85[15], a position further from the center. This is because primary voters care more about a candidate’s positions than the general election voting base. The 2010 Tea Party phenomenon is an example of extreme and engaged primary constituents. The Tea Party movement knocked mainstream conservatives out of the picture, which in turn, hurt the Republican Party in the general election because of their extreme positions. The extremism and activism that exists in primary elections contributes to the political polarization in America. The ideological divide between Republicans and Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals is real. Polarization is not only present in the branches of government but also among the people. The political system that has been created has contributed greatly to the growth of polarization. The foundations can be traced back to the media’s influence over the public, financing of campaigns and the manner in which the public selects representatives. [1] Barry Burden, â€Å"The Polarizing Effects of Congressional Primaries,† in Galderisi et al. (eds.),  CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES AND THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION (2001). [2] (KJKV).pg.466. [3] (KJKV).Pg. 447 [4] (KJKV).pg. 629 [5] (KJKV).pg. 640 – It is entirely possible that despite having a mobile phone, the device may not be able to surf the Web, which limits the potential information sharing in that household. [6] (KJKV).pg. 638 [7] (KJKV).pg. 508 [8] (KJKV).pg. 511 [9] Erika Franklin Fowler and Travis N. Ridout, â€Å"Negative, Angry, and Ubiquitous: Political Advertising in  2012† [10] Erika Franklin Fowler and Travis N. Ridout, â€Å"Negative, Angry, and Ubiquitous: Political Advertising in 2012† [11] (KJKV).pg. 510 [12] Gary C. Jacobson, â€Å"The Electoral Origins of Polarized Politics: Evidence From the 2010 Cooperative  Congressional Election Study.† American Behavioral Scientist 56(12) 1612–1630. [13] (KJKV)Pg. 521 [14] Barry Burden, â€Å"The Polarizing Effects of Congressional Primaries,† in Galderisi et al. (eds.),  CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES AND THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION (2001). [15] Barry Burden, â€Å"The Polarizing Effects of Congressional Primaries,† in Galderisi et al. (eds.),  CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES AND THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION (2001).

Ritalin And Its Uses Essay -- essays research papers

Ritalin and Its Uses In recent years, more and more kids seem to be on a prescription drug called Ritalin(methylphenidate). This drug is being handed out more and more by doctors as a way of treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a complex neurological impairnment that prevents kids from concentrating. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, it rose fron 200 grams per 100,000 people to over 1400 grams per 100,000 people in the last fifteen years. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about one student in every classroom is believed to experience the disorder. The rate of Ritalin use in the United States is at least five times higher than in the rest of the world according to federal studies. Are doctors just catching this disabling affliction more often? Or does society just want a convenient way to solve a complicated problem. Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant that is somewhat similar to amphetamines. It was created in 1955, classified as a controlled substance in 1971, and became the drug of choice for ADHD in 1981. It is also used in treating narcolepsy. It is thought to activate the brain stem arousal system and cortex, and, like cocaine, works on the neurotransmitter dopamine. It appears to increase the levels of dopamine in the frontal lobe where attention and impulsive actions are regulated. When taken in its intended form under a doctor's prescritption, it has moderate stimulant properties. There has been a great deal of concern about it's addictive qualities and adverse affects. ADHD is a relatively new disorder. It was introduced in 1980, where it was labeled ADD(attention deficit disorder). In the 1950's, children were simply labeled "hyperkinetic." The term "hyperactivity" was added in 1987, hence the name ADHD. Not all children have the hyperactivity, and thus are labeled to have ADD. ADD is not treated with Ritalin; antidepressants are more commonly used. One of the problems with the label ADHD is that just because a child may be overly hyper, doesn't mean the child is not paying attention. The problem is, the child is paying too much attention to too many things at the same time. ADHD is children's #1 childhood psychiatric disorder. The prevalence is three time... ...ere), irregular heartbeat and respiration(may be profound and life threatening), anxiety, restlessness, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks, and formicaton(sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin). It seems to be abused by high school kids and college students predominantly. Although the drug is too complex to manufacture illegally, and it doesn't create the euphoric effect that cocaine has, it seems to be an aid in studying for final exams. It allows students to stay up all night allowing them to cram much easier. It is important to remember that too many children in America are suffering from this ailment, and yet too many kids are getting pills instead of proper care. Although Ritalin currently seems to be an effective way in treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, we must not treat this disorder hastily. Our society must realize that prescription drugs can have just as many complications as street drugs. Befor writing out a prescription, or carelessly diagnosing ADHD, we must remember that these are kids we are dealing with. They put all their faith in us to help them, and not just to medicate them.

‘Gilmore Girls’ TV Show Getting Back :: Gilmore Girls Television TV Essays

‘Gilmore Girls’ TV Show Getting Back â€Å"Once a good show loses its way, can it ever truly regain it?† As I read that first sentence, I wondered what they were talking about, I didn’t know that one of my favorite shows; Gilmore Girls, wasn’t doing too good. As I read on, I saw that there are many daytime shows not doing as good as they used to. The West Wing is doing better than it was the past couple of seasons but its not as good as it was when it first came out. The writer compares crying because the show was so good when it first came out, to crying now because it’s not as good as it used to be and viewer miss that. As television shows run through the years, they change, obviously the plots have to change as the characters change and the years go by. The author starts the article by introducing other television shows that are also having trouble with making their plots interesting enough so that their audience keeps watching. The author explains that although the shows are still good, they are not as good as they used to be and that they could use a little something to improve the shows. Although he doesn’t specify what the shows need, he does say that â€Å"a down season for The Sopranos is still better than almost anything else on TV.† The author used pathos by showing his emotions to how different shows are doing. At the end of the article, he says that his â€Å"relationship with the Gilmore Girls is by no means over-good TV relationships are too hard to come by for that.† In other words, just because the series was doing bad and now that it is finally getting better, doesn’t mean he should just stop watching the show, the fact that the show is getting better, should tell any person that it’s worth watching again. Some background on the characters and the show will help you understand what the article is really saying. Gilmore Girls is about a mother, Lorelai , who had her daughter, Rory, when she was sixteen. Lorelai’s parents are very well off, meaning rich, they pay for Rory’s schooling and because of that, they make Lorelai and Rory come to their house for dinners on Friday.

Community And Social Structure

The idea of people being social in nature can be clearly illustrated by the groups, or communities that one sees all around them. Groups of individuals share a common perspective of what reality consists of, this is known as culture(Charon, 1997). This reality is perceived through our interactions with others in the group and by what our position is within that group(Charon, 1997). The way in which we see the world is in a sense limited by both our position and our interactions. In order to actually fill your position in the group you need to have a working set of ideas and concepts to get the job done(Charon, 1997). This working set of ideas is actually formed by the interactions that you have with other people who have the same position as you. It works for everyone else, and therefore you can t just randomly choose another set of concepts and ideas andexpect them to work, so you choose the ideas, concepts, and means that your peers use(Charon, 1997). For instance, if you are a Chemist, you obtain knowledge and perspectives consistent of your environment, i. e. chemistry, you would not learn a great deal about molecular biology because those concepts and ideas are not useful to you. We don t have a complete picture of everything around usbecause we perceive only the things which fit into our social structure(Charon, 1997). Reality is not a Velcro Nerf dart toss of facts and ideas, but rather a magnetic selection of those facts and ideas which are conducive to our pre-constructed structure. To one man power and riches are the greatest thing to achieve, but to a bum The oiliest thing is to have a warm placeto sleep (Coleman,1982:207). It s unfortunate that these conceptscan be utilized by a dictator to gain control and power for his own ideas and concepts. Hitler was just such a man, he used a social construct known as patriotism, that is, sense of pride and connection with everyone within a society. Hitler rallied people by the droves claiming economic bloom, and prosperity for all if they submit to the organization, and promised death to any that were not within that organization. He kept them thinking the same thoughts, holding the same beliefs, and striving towards a common cause, and six million Jewish people gave their lives up for not being part of his concept of community. The German people believed in the concepts and ideas because Hitler was going to bring them prosperity once he got rid of those niggardly Jews. When someone is told to electrocute another person to train them to respond with positive answers only, they take it as their role to do so without questioning, even if the shock was strong enough to be lethal(Meyers, 1970). Such was the case in a study done in North Carolina(Meyers, 1970). It illustrates how we are socialized to be an equal member of the community. We do and believe that which is necessary to fulfill our role in the community, and so our perspective is that of our communities. Charon, 1997) In short, we all are socialized into the people we become, and we only associate with people that are socialized in a similar manner as ourselves(Charon, 1997). Those that are similar form a community and teach new members of the community what their status quo is through example and explicit instruction. And this is what makes us social in nature, that we rely on others to justify ourselves, this need for acceptance leads us to alter our perspective to match that of those we wish to be accepted by. The social structure being what it is, there is a situation in which ones community can be very limiting. Take the homeless for example, a homeless person has ragged clothes, no address, no phone number, sometimes no identification, and no resources for obtaining these(Coleman, 1982). A homeless person would need a job to get the necessary components needed to get a job, and so they have restricted life chances(Coleman, 1982). The homeless learn this and limit themselves further by believing that their position is the only one they can hold, and have no choice(Coleman, 1982). Community And Social Structure The idea of people being social in nature can be clearly illustrated by the groups, or communities that one sees all around them. Groups of individuals share a common perspective of what reality consists of, this is known as culture(Charon, 1997). This reality is perceived through our interactions with others in the group and by what our position is within that group(Charon, 1997). The way in which we see the world is in a sense limited by both our position and our interactions. In order to actually fill your position in the group you need to have a working set of ideas and concepts to get the job done(Charon, 1997). This working set of ideas is actually formed by the interactions that you have with other people who have the same position as you. It works for everyone else, and therefore you can t just randomly choose another set of concepts and ideas andexpect them to work, so you choose the ideas, concepts, and means that your peers use(Charon, 1997). For instance, if you are a Chemist, you obtain knowledge and perspectives consistent of your environment, i. e. chemistry, you would not learn a great deal about molecular biology because those concepts and ideas are not useful to you. We don t have a complete picture of everything around usbecause we perceive only the things which fit into our social structure(Charon, 1997). Reality is not a Velcro Nerf dart toss of facts and ideas, but rather a magnetic selection of those facts and ideas which are conducive to our pre-constructed structure. To one man power and riches are the greatest thing to achieve, but to a bum The oiliest thing is to have a warm placeto sleep (Coleman,1982:207). It s unfortunate that these conceptscan be utilized by a dictator to gain control and power for his own ideas and concepts. Hitler was just such a man, he used a social construct known as patriotism, that is, sense of pride and connection with everyone within a society. Hitler rallied people by the droves claiming economic bloom, and prosperity for all if they submit to the organization, and promised death to any that were not within that organization. He kept them thinking the same thoughts, holding the same beliefs, and striving towards a common cause, and six million Jewish people gave their lives up for not being part of his concept of community. The German people believed in the concepts and ideas because Hitler was going to bring them prosperity once he got rid of those niggardly Jews. When someone is told to electrocute another person to train them to respond with positive answers only, they take it as their role to do so without questioning, even if the shock was strong enough to be lethal(Meyers, 1970). Such was the case in a study done in North Carolina(Meyers, 1970). It illustrates how we are socialized to be an equal member of the community. We do and believe that which is necessary to fulfill our role in the community, and so our perspective is that of our communities. In short, we all are socialized into the people we become, and we only associate with people that are socialized in a similar manner as ourselves(Charon, 1997). Those that are similar form a community and teach new members of the community what their status quo is through example and explicit instruction. And this is what makes us social in nature, that we rely on others to justify ourselves, this need for acceptance leads us to alter our perspective to match that of those we wish to be accepted by. The social structure being what it is, there is a situation in which ones community can be very limiting. Take the homeless for example, a homeless person has ragged clothes, no address, no phone number, sometimes no identification, and no resources for obtaining these(Coleman, 1982). A homeless person would need a job to get the necessary components needed to get a job, and so they have restricted life chances(Coleman, 1982). The homeless learn this and limit themselves further by believing that their position is the only one they can hold, and have no choice(Coleman, 1982).