Spencer Johnson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spencer Johnson - Essay Example In this light, the need to find ways to deal with challenges presented by the flurry of change in our life becomes of the most urgent and demanding. In this regard, the book "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson that I had recently read is addressed exactly to those who seek ways to effectively manage changes in their lives. One of the main points of the author is that change as such can not only bring anxiety, but good opportunities as well. How we perceive changes depends on our attitudes towards life and valuable things in it, which the author calls 'cheese'. Thus, the principal message of Johnsons book is that if we begin to understand the true value of 'cheese' in our life, and develop a realistic and positive attitude to changes that seem to move our cheese away from us, we can become much more successful and effective in managing our well-being. It is not accidental that the book "Who Moved My Cheese" depicts a maze in which four characters live, because the maze represents our path towards happiness in life, and the four characters with their different attitudes represent different parts of human nature. Trying to sho w readers the inherent simplicity of insights offered in the book, the author manages to convince that everyone can courageously confront change in different spheres of our life, like career, family, health, spiritual growth, etc. Now, it is no wonder that, in light of what we had initially observed, the book "Who Moved My Cheese" has become so much popular throughout the world as it addresses one of the most universal problems of modernity. And while some could blame this work on being somewhat simplistic, I am sure that most people would find it nevertheless very helpful and encouraging. Personally, upon reading this book and taking some time to contemplate on its messages I began to become aware of how fear and psychological effects of change influence my life. I found especially inspiring the proposal from "Who Moved My Cheese" to imagine what I would do if I were not afraid, and I must confess that now I realize that there are a lot of things which I would like to change in my life, but which I have been afraid to abandon because of the uncertainty about what a change can bring. At the same time, the mentioned book made me think that some larger problems could also be fixed by application of the offered principles. For instance, many religion-based conflicts could disappear if those who perceive their religions as endangered in the modern world were to realize that changes are not inherently bad, but, being inevitable, changes offer benefits as well. This ability of principles and approaches advanced by the author to be applicable for both personal and global realms of our life testifies to their validity. In this regard, I can define three general conclusions that I made after reading this book and that have influenced my values and my understanding of peculiarities and demands of our modern life. Firstly, it is important to point out that one of the main traits of modernity is the complexity and interdependency of phenomena that surround us, be they social, economic, cultural or physical in nature. On the other hand, one of the main traits of human nature is the propensity for investigating the world we live in. Thus, as for example science has a developed methodology for studying its subjects, a person who aims to

In Burmese Days George Orwell vividly describes life in a British Essay

In Burmese Days George Orwell vividly describes life in a British overseas colony in the waning days of imperialism - Essay Example Though the Europeans do little work, they complain about the prick heat and the possible acceptance of the locals into their exclusively European club. An overwhelming majority of British holds themselves superior to the Burmese and feel they should rule over the less intelligent niggers. In the story Elizabeth, the orphaned niece of Lackersteen’s, is surprised by Flory soft nature towards the locals. Elizabeth also learns from Mrs. Lackersteen’s that Flory keeps a native Mistress while she detests the locals and views them as ‘beastly’. The relationship between the Europeans and the natives can be further described as discriminative. European men have intimate relationships with the natives, but the natives are strictly prohibited from marrying Europeans. A child born of a native and a European is regarded as an outcast and denied a job by the government until they denounce their European blood (Orwell 98). Further cruelty between the native Burmese and th e Europeans is shown when Maxwell, the acting Divisional forests officer shots a local rebel. Maxwell is brought back to the town dead a few days after that. A tense situation occurs between the locals and the Europeans, and the situation deteriorates after Ellis launches a spiteful attack on the local native children. Ellis decision to punish the children instead of the culprits responsible for Maxwell’s death proves that the relationship between the natives and the Europeans is that of a slave to a master (Orwell 84). Though the British do not despise the Asians as much as they detest the local Burmese natives, the relationship between the two is not hospitable. The European community is highly against the acceptance of Dr. Veraswami an Asian into the exclusive European club. Based on Dr. Veraswami’s thinking, the British also views their position as superior to the Asians. Dr. Veraswami views his Asian kind as lesser humans compared to the Europeans (Orwell 59).This view can be presented as the same view possessed by the Europeans as majority of them are against acceptance of Dr. Veraswami into the all inclusive European club. Finally, Dr. Veraswami is demoted after the death of Flory, his only European supporter. U Po Kyin a corrupt magistrate plots the escape of a prisoner, causing a rebellion which is blamed on Dr. Veraswami. Magistrate U Po Kyin plans to deny the doctor a position in the European club and claim the membership instead as he feels a non European is not deserving of a position in the club. The Asians view the Europeans as superior, and the gulf between them is widely divided by race and classifications of the inhabitants of the small town. The race composition is divided into: Europeans, Chinese, Asians and at last Burmese natives. In the story we find that Dr. Veraswami wants to be part of the exclusive European Club although he doesn’t plan to attend any of the sessions (Orwell 101). Dr. Veraswami only wants to be pa rt of the club because of the social prestige and respect that is given to members of the European club, particularly because he would be the only Asian member of the club. Dr. Veraswami also views his kind as lesser human beings, stressing the fact that the Asians considered the Europeans superior. The British view their main mission as economic exploitation and colonization of the

Feminism and Homosexuality in Theater Essay Example for Free

Feminism and Homosexuality in Theater Essay Feminism in theater has a very close relationship with the depiction of homosexuality onstage. Playwrights and performance artists who advocate feminism have seen theater as a powerful tool to make the public understand their views. The work of artists such as Lillian Hellman, Holly Hughes, and Anna Deavere Smith shape the discussion of feminism and homosexuality in the theater. Lillian Hellman was a playwright who’s known for plays that discussed the psychological and social manifestations of evil. Her work was revolutionary because she created strong female characters at a time when men ruled American theater. On the subject of homosexuality, Hellman’s most relevant work was â€Å"The Children’s Hour† (Champion and Nelson 156). While â€Å"The Children’s Hour† sends a powerful message on the topic of homosexuality, Hellman herself wasn’t a homosexual and her work may have reflected her attitude toward the subject. Hellman described the play to a reporter as â€Å"not really a play about lesbianism, but a lie (Griffin and Thorsten 27). † According to Hellman, the bigger the lie, the better it gets. â€Å"The Children’s Hour,† which opened on Broadway on November 20, 1934, painted a grim but clear depiction of Hellman’s view. â€Å"The Children’s Hour† is about the lives of two young women who opened a school for girls. Eventually, their lives are gradually ruined when one of the students accuses them of lesbianism. The characters of Martha Dobie and Karen Wright were realistically rendered by Hellman, resulting in a Broadway hit that would have 691 performances. This was a milestone of an achievement since America at the time was very conservative and homosexuality was a taboo subject (Griffin and Thorsten 27). Homosexuality was so taboo a subject in the Western world that the play was banned in Chicago, Boston, and London. While the play earned critical success in France and New York, it wasn’t awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1935 because the subject matter was still thought to be too sensitive at the time. Critics from New York however, protested the refusal of conservative bodies in the theater industry by forming the Drama Critics’ Circle. The organization has since then presented its own awards for plays they thought were relevant to art and society (Griffin and Thorsten 27). Hellman’s guardedness toward the issue of homosexuality is reflected on the play’s morality, which though clearly controversial and shocking at the time, was nevertheless morally acceptable to the majority of audiences. One glaring example of this is the fact that in the play, the accusation that Martha Dobie and Karen Wright were engaged in a lesbian relationship was simply a lie. An archetypal malicious teenager named Mary Tilford who studied in the school for girls fabricated the story. In fact, Karen was engaged to Dr. Joe Cardin, whom she really loved. Martha may have really been a lesbian in the story, but fearing for her sexuality, she committed suicide after revealing her thoughts and feelings to Karen (Griffin and Thorsten 28). Despite her sensational plays often associated with left-wing politics and feminism, Hellman considered herself largely a â€Å"moral writer. † The issue of homosexuality was primarily just a tool in the story to illustrate Hellman’s view that good people sometimes bring about harm because of their unwillingness to challenge evil. Karen was clearly painted in the play as a heterosexual and Martha seemed to have paid for her crime (homosexuality) with her life. Aside from reaffirming the norms of American society at the time, the play also apparently satisfied the morality of the conservative audience (Griffin and Thorsten 28). â€Å"The Children’s Hour† may have shied away from directly defending homosexuality, but it nevertheless showed the gradual opening of society to the broader roles of women. Martha and Karen were women who earned their own money, thus sending a message that they were independent and had some sort of power to satisfy their desires. These female characters were different from another of Hellman’s characters named Regina in â€Å"The Little Foxes. † While Regina depended on others’ money and the things she got from her manipulation of men, Martha and Karen had the education and administrative skills which led to the success of the all girls’ school they founded. Joe, Karen’s partner, also symbolized the growing number of egalitarian men at the time. He was very supportive of his partner’s wish to continue her career after their marriage and he also respected her dedication to the school she co-founded. He even defended Karen and Martha to his aunt after Mary’s mother convinced other parents to take their children out of the school because of the lesbianism charge (Griffin and Thorsten 28). In effect, while the play was hesitant to probe the reality of homosexuality more deeply, it did affirm in the audience’s mind the expanding role and power of women in society. Hellman might have been too guarded about lesbianism, but performance artist Holly Hughes was definitely vocal about her views about homosexuality and homosexual relationships. Hughes was an openly homosexual performance artist and writer of various plays and books that center on the topic of homosexuality. Her work has both been debated and celebrated by artists and intellectuals. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) refused to fund Hughes’ work in the summer of 1990 because of its sensitive subject matter, which resulted in a fierce debate and controversy in the world of performance art. One of Hughes’ most controversial pieces is a play entitled â€Å"Well of Horniness. † Lynda Hart, Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote that the â€Å"Well of Horniness† is both â€Å"transgressive and aggressive† because it dismantles the audience’s preconceived notions about lesbian homosexuality. The play is loosely based on a classic novel about lesbian homosexuality written by Radclyffe Hall. Hughes’ play became very successful and eventually inspired two sequels: â€Å"Part II: Victim Victoria† and â€Å"Part III: In the Realm of the Senseless (Hart and Phelan 60-61). † The play is mostly representational, with the plot repeatedly interrupted by mock commercials and commentaries (Hart and Phelan 60-61). The memorable characters of â€Å"Well of Horniness† include Georgette, Rod, and Vicki. Georgette is Rod’s sister and Vicki is Rod’s fiancee. Vicki and Georgette are members of a sorority called Tridelta Tribads. Georgette meets Rod and Vicki at a restaurant, and Georgette soon recognizes Vicki as someone she knows from her past sorority. Vicki instantly desires Georgette and stares at her longingly. While dining at the restaurant, Vicki drops her fork underneath the table. As she goes down to pick it up, she’s drawn instead to Georgette’s legs, which Hughes writes, were â€Å"two succulent rainbows leading to the same pot of gold (Hart and Phelan 61-62). † The aggressive affirmation of homosexual reality masked in comedy is performed in the play as Vicki continues to give Georgette cunnilingus while Rod delivers a monologue on honeymoon getaways. In productions of the play at East Village, Manhattan, this scene is performed explicitly with Georgette in a comedic manner to Vicki underneath the table. Vicki then gets up and says she’s feeling â€Å"a little too hot† and goes to the bathroom (Hart and Phelan 62). Rod tells Georgette that he senses â€Å"something fishy† but he can’t â€Å"put his finger† on it (Hart and Phelan 62). Georgette then replies, â€Å"I’m working on it. † The comedic conversation happens in the context of a play that is filled with references to fish, eager beavers, muff-divers, and other terms associated with lesbianism (Hart and Phelan 62). In contrast to â€Å"The Children’s Hour†, â€Å"Well of Horniness† certainly drives home its message on homosexuality in a more direct, striking manner. Hughes’ play doesn’t hide behind other issues or concerns such as the â€Å"lie† or â€Å"evil† in Hellman’s play, and instead hits audiences with the reality of homosexuality right away. It is this controversial nature of Hughes work that has made her notorious for conservative critics and even lesbians and other homosexuals who review her work. Hart though, thinks that Hughes’ play effectively challenges heterosexual hegemony. Its borderline messages and controversial nature opens up a â€Å"hopeful new space of visibility† for feminism and its supporters (Hart and Phelan 62). The popular scene from â€Å"Well of Horniness† is even more notable because it shatters lesbian stereotypes. Lesbians at the time were thought of as homosexuals who generally assumed male identities. Vicki though, was already engaged to Rod and yet still desired other women. Vicki’s performance of oral sex for Georgette in close proximity to her fiance destroys any notions the audiences might have regarding lesbianism and the sexuality of women. Since the play is representational, Rod’s character mainly stands for heterosexual hegemony, which explains why the character is named â€Å"Rod† to refer to male phallic symbol. Hughes shows that homosexual realities are happening throughout society despite the blind functioning of heterosexual institutions, such as marriage, as the play points out. Unlike Hellman, Hughes seems more concerned with homosexuality than feminism, although the empowerment of women might also be addressed by her aggressive plays. Through the clear depiction of women as freely desiring beings, Hughes is able to free women from societal stereotypes. â€Å"Women† isn’t a category of human beings who can only desire men. Instead, it’s a fuzzy category that mostly refers to female human beings who may desire any sex and express that desire in different ways. Overarching Hellman and Hughes’ work may be the amazing work of Anna Deavere Smith, performance artist, playwright, writer, and professor. Smith has received numerous awards and is widely known for her performances which have her assuming the identities of more than twenty people. Smith employs few props, such as chairs and tables to differentiate identities in her performances. All the identities she plays are real people who are interviewed beforehand about a social issue. The result of her lengthy monologues is a stunning commentary on the differences that fracture a community. One of Smith’s most popular acts is called â€Å"On the Road,† which she has been performing since 1982. In one of her performances, Smith interviewed twenty-five men and women from Princeton University on subjects such as the university’s eating clubs which are exclusive to men, assault against women, and the condition of black students among others. The fifty-minute dialogue that results from this research entertains and delights audiences at the same time. Smith usually invites her subjects to attend her performances and their reaction is usually positive. Many of them even laugh out loud when they recognize their own selves in the numerous identities performed. Some of them though, get unsettled when they see their views juxtaposed with others from the community (Hart and Phelan 35). This unsettling of the self may be one of the main goals of Smith in structuring her acts through such a unique manner. According to Smith, her goal is â€Å"to find American character in the ways that people speak (Cohen-Cruz 148). † She said that the spirit, imagination, and the challenges of the time can then be captured by inhabiting the words of the people in the community. Unlike other actors who try to project realistic characters on the stage, Smith’s emphasis is more on the filtering of the self through a single actor. She doesn’t assume that she has all the experiences of her subjects, but that she can learn many things from these experiences (Cohen-Cruz 148). Feminism has been one of the subjects of Smith’s performances for a very long time. In one Princeton performance entitled â€Å"Gender Bending,† Smith reminisced how women from Seven Sisters colleges had been imported to Princeton throughout history to provide weekend entertainment for members of fraternities. Feminist definitions of the body, the AIDS crisis, and modern literary representations of homosexuality are also discussed in the show. Smith tackled all these issues by impersonating the subjects she interviewed and playing them onstage (Hart and Phelan 37). In a way, Smith’s work is closer to reality than both Hellman and Hughes’ work because it merely projects the voice of real people onstage. What makes Smith’s performance more striking though than a simple video recording of interviews is that only one face speaks for all of the subjects. Through this technique, Smith is able to erase the immediate symbols of color, gender, and other characteristics of her subjects. Without the physical characteristics that differentiate one subject from another, audiences are forced to consider each subject’s view as a part of a unity that is the community. Stereotypes are then magnified as audiences realize that differences are oftentimes imaginary and unjust. Instead of masking the call for the empowerment of women through discussions about â€Å"evil† such as what Hellman did, or aggressively attacking the audience with controversial representations of lesbians such as what Hughes demonstrated, Smith is able to give voice to real women by simply putting their views side by side with others from the community. Smith puts real context in her performances, which makes the issue more immediate to viewers. Her acts send the message that gender discrimination is really happening right now and many people are unconsciously participating in it. They call for an immediate response to pressing social issues while entertaining audiences at the same time. For ordinary citizens, norms in society are always difficult to challenge, let alone break. Revolutionary works by Hellman, Hughes, and Smith are very valuable in that they help people to cross the bridge, so they can see the other side. While some audiences may dislike the oftentimes crude and vulgar images in their work, their act of watching alone is enough to gradually bend the norms of society. Norms always have to be challenged so that society’s morality and humanity doesn’t remain oppressively stagnant. Once taboo subjects are discussed, they cease to haunt the people concerned and become an issue for everyone. As modernity pushes people to think more about the effects of gender on society and the self, feminism and homosexuality will continue to be relevant topics in theater and other forms of art in the future. Hellman, Hughes, and Smith’s work will also continue to shape the discussions on these topics. These three brilliant writers represent different sides of the spectrum and their work should be read by anyone interested in exploring the relationship between feminism, homosexuality and theater arts. Works Cited Champion, Laurie and Emmanuel Sampath Nelson. American Women Writers, 1900-1945: a Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. Cohen-Cruz, Jan. Local Acts: Community-based Performance in the United States. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2005. Griffin, Alice and Geraldine Thorsten. Understanding Lillian Herman. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999. Hart, Lynda and Peggy Phelan. Acting Out: Feminist Performances. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999.

Early Childhood Trauma Lives on in Adulthood Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Trauma Lives on in Adulthood Essay Abused children eventually become problem adults who are a burden to society. Recent studies reveal the significance of parenting in the cross-generational transmission of aggressive or problem behavior up to three continuous generations. Stable evidence has long recognized and documented the negative effects of aggressive or harsh and inconsistent parenting and identified the need for interventions that would foster better parenting skills. These new findings provide the direct link between the incidence of child abuse and the emergence of problem behavior later in life. Child abuse may be physical, emotional, sexual or through neglect. Child Protective agencies received and investigated three million reports of maltreatment of close to four million children in 1999, 54% of which were due to neglect. But because most of the victims were too young and too afraid to speak out, these agencies believed that the actual incidence was greater than reported. While it occurred in all social, ethnic and income groups, child abuse was most common among poor, under-educated and dysfunctional families and committed mostly by parents themselves who were young, unmarried or separated, lonely and coping with life’s stresses but not criminal or psychotic. Un-addressed incidence of child abuse increases the risk of criminality, academic failure and failed social relationships in later life. Present literature presents conclusive findings that parent-toddler relationship directly affects the toddler’s problem behavior, with deviant or aggressive maternal behavioral attitudes crossing and spanning three continuous generations from grandmother to the child . A study offers significant evidence that angry, aggressive parenting strongly influences the development of aggressive behavior in adolescence through social learning and often results in unsatisfactory romantic and marital relationships and conditions. Findings also show that financial distress and improper parenting produce problem behavior n children and that poor or injurious maternal attitudes lead to it. Antisocial and violent behavior in children and adults is also seen as the consequence of birth complications and certain biological factors when combined with a negative home atmosphere. Family relationships strongly affect a child’s self-esteem and the impact often remains through life. Collusion among siblings also contributed to the development of faulty behavior in children who were abused at home. Boys were more affected by peer rejection and girls, by low academic performance Abused preschoolers often came from low-income families and exhibited at least one antisocial behavior each day in class. Most of these children were African-American who suffered from guilt and self-blame but most mothers of both problem and non-problem children viewed their children in similar ways . Popular myths conduce to wrong beliefs and must be guided by scientific knowledge. And despite much knowledge and effort, there remains the need for consistent and thorough mechanisms that will confront the issue and arrest the causes or conditions in preschool age right at the family and in the community. Subjects and participants in the studies included parents of children with problem behavior, adolescent parents, grandmothers of problem children, other family members with a target child at high risk for sibling collusion, mothers of non-problem children, respondents to 39 studies of biosocial interactions, demographic sub-groups (such as African-Americans) and normative samples of preschoolers exhibiting antisocial behavior. Child mistreatment or abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual or in the form of neglect. Neglect was the most common type and the perpetrators were mostly parents who themselves were abused as children. Irritable and aggressive parenting led children to grow up into unstable, under-controlled adolescents and adults with troubled relationships, families and parenting in later life. This type of parenting passed from the first to the third generations through the behaviors of the children who learned and engendered them mainly from their mothers’ own behaviors. This antisocial behavior that began from home increased the risk of criminality, academic failure and social relationship problems. Financial stress had a strong impact on parenting quality that transmitted antisocial behavior from generation to generation Four studies directly showed and reinforced earlier findings of this intergeneration transmission, demonstrated by preschoolers at least once daily in class. These preschoolers came mostly from low-income families, most boys influenced by peer rejection and most girls, by low academic performance. Sibling collusion and biosocial factors aggravated and reinforced the formation of antisocial behavior from children who were abused. Mistreated African-American children experienced more guilt and self-blame than Caucasian children. Common beliefs about children’s misbehavior also clashed with scientific knowledge. All conditions pointed to the need for adequate mechanisms of early intervention that would consistently and thoroughly address the problem or question at the crucial preschool age of children . Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment or neglect of a child. About half of all cases of child abuse involve neglect, committed most often by the child’s own parents, other family members and caretakers, such as teachers, babysitters, other children or even strangers. Once viewed as a minor social problem, child abuse caught closer notice from the media, law enforcers and professionals and, since then, figures began to go up. But authorities claimed that actual figures could only be higher than these, because abuses on children were more often hidden and the victims were too young and too afraid to report the crime. Child protective agencies investigated three million reports on the mistreatment of nearly four million children in 1999 and found that 54% of these were cases of neglect. They also discovered that a child was often a victim of more than one form of abuse, that it occurred more in low-income than high-income families with little education, among young mothers, single-parent families and in families where the parents were alcohol or drug-dependent. Investigations revealed that 90% of these parents, however, were neither criminal nor mentally unstable, but were lonely, young, single parents with unwanted pregnancies. Some or many of them were themselves abused as children, but statistics show that most abused children did not grow up to become abusive parents. Behavioral experts pointed to the lack of parenting skills, unrealistic expectations of children’s behavior and capabilities, social isolation and family conflicts as additional factors that contribute to child abuse, which they perceived as the parents’ coping response to their situation. The agencies’ 1999 investigations showed that 75% of perpetrators were the parents themselves and those involved in the care of these children. Physical abuse is the deliberate bodily injury on a child, most often a male (Black 2004). Earlier studies showed that 24% of all confirmed cases of child abuse were physical. The abuse is sexual if the child has not yet attained the age of legal consent and the abuse is performed for the sexual gratification of the abuser. The act may include sexual touching, intercourse, exposure of sexual organs or viewing pornography. In many sexual child abuse cases, the abuser was not a stranger or related to the child and one in five was under the age of legal consent himself or herself (Black). Reports also said that 20-25% of the cases were female and 10-15% were male who were sexually violated by age 18 (Black). Emotional abuse, on the other hand, consists of acts of rejection, ignoring, criticizing, isolation, or terrorizing of a child, which results in his or her loss of self-esteem. These are verbal assaults, which reject, belittle or use a child as a â€Å"scapegoat. † Emotional abuse is the least reported because it often accompanies the other types and the hardest to prove And neglect is the failure to provide for the child’s basic needs, whether physical, emotional or the lack of sustenance. Neglect accounted for 52% of all investigated reports of child abuse in 1996. Abusive parents physically afflict their child when they lose control even for normal actions like crying or a change in diapers. Non-abusive parents may at times get angry or upset, but remain genuinely loving, in contrast with abusive parents who harbor deep-seated hostility towards the child. Physical abuse can be suspected with the common signs, such as burns, bruises, bone or skull fractures. Death from physical abuse, such as the shaken baby syndrome, was among the leading causes for children less than a year old. Studies revealed that physical abuse changed children’s behavior in many ways. Psychological experts maintained that sexual abuse constituted sexual arousal in a child and the child’s willingness to act on it, conditioned by alcohol, drugs or the misconception that there was nothing wrong about the act. There were greater chances of sexual abuse if the child was developmentally disabled or vulnerable some way. This type of abuse was often discovered when genital or anal injuries or abnormalities, including the presence of sexually transmitted disease, were noticed in a child. Behavioral signs included anxiety, poor school performance, suicidal tendencies or attempts, excessive masturbation and an unusually sexualized behavior often gave sexual abuse away. Emotional abuse was often detected with the loss of self-esteem, sleep disturbance, headache or stomach ache, school absenteeism and leaving home. Neglect develops from a parent’s negative feeling towards a child or the parent may truly care but is unable to provide for the child’s needs because of the parent’s depression, drug dependence, mental handicap or other problems. Findings said that neglected children did not receive sufficient nourishment or emotional and mental stimulation and this lack hampered their normal physical, social, emotional and mental development. Underweight, delayed language skills and emotional instability were among the consequences. Doctors, social workers, other professionals, child welfare agencies and the police conducted physical and psychological examinations and interviews of abused children. Reporting to the authorities, treating the child’s injuries and protecting him or her from further harm were primary measures in child abuse cases. These authorities could then evaluate if moving the child to another willing and qualified relative or a foster family would be in the best interests of the child, whether long or short-term Further investigation could reveal that the child’s siblings were abuse victims themselves, as reports found that about 20% of siblings were child abuse victims themselves. These children wre observed to perform poorly in school, develop antisocial personality or behavior, or turn to drugs or alcohol, try suicide or become emotionally unstable in adulthood. Parents’ mistreatment or abuse of their own children leads these children to form antisocial or problem behavior as adolescents and as adults. Previous and recent studies presented substantial evidence that angry, abusive and aggressive parental behavior spill over to these children up to three generations through social learning. These behaviors, therefore, directly influence the different social behaviors and relationships of their children in adolescence and adulthood. Parents’ anger, hostility or emotional support essentially determines if a child will be a supportive or rejecting adolescent. Hostility towards parents and an adolescent conclusively predicts problematic romantic and family relationships later in his or her life. These latter studies also demonstrated that parenting in the first generation directly affected the bond between parents and child, one of the most important human bonds in life. This study offered evidence of intergenerational continuity wherein aggression in youth is often followed by aggressive parenting. That kind of parenting, in turn, appears to contribution to aggression in children. This particular study expounded on the utter significance of parenting in the intergenerational transmission of antisocial or problem behavior. It also explained how normative approval of aggression, aggressive fantasies and verbal aggression maintain aggressive behavior through time. Still another study focused on the transmission of problem behavior from parents to toddlers, its appearance in preschool and how it affects academic performance. It found that the characteristics of parent-child relationships tended to continue or replicate themselves across generations. It showed that a grandmother or mother who was cold or dissatisfied exercised inappropriate control, which was characterized by conflict. This behavior model was copied by adolescent children who repeated it towards their own. The study added that the kind of behavior the grandmother towards the parent increased the probability of impulsiveness, rebelliousness, irresponsibility and other psychological problems in adolescent and the eventual parent-child relationship. This last study likewise explained how hostile maternal behaviors go through a cycle of intergenerational continuity. It suggested that aspects of parent-child relationships passed from generation to generation. They, thus, served as direct models of behavior and indirectly influenced the development of personality traits, which characterized the relationship. Parent-child relationship was an important mediator between the parents’ characteristics and those of the child. The study suggested that reducing the risk of transmission in the first two generations would reduce the risk between the next two. The search for the connection between early childhood trauma or child abuse and the development of problem behavior later in life brought to light significant evidence of social and biological processes, which appeared to predispose children to antisocial behavior. This included of birth complications, a negative home environment of violence, hormones, neurotransmitters, toxins and drugs as having an impact on the development of problem behavior when the home environment or relationship reinforced their biologic effect. Still another study examined the level of intergenerational transmission and how financial distress and the parenting style affected the transmission. From interrogations and observations, it found that antisocial behavior of both parents had similar impact on their children and that parents who were more consistent and warm had lower development levels of antisocial behavior in their children. Fathers’ antisocial behaviors and mothers’ parenting had the strongest effects on children’s latter development of problem behavior and improper parenting style. Parallel studies discovered that preschoolers from economically disadvantaged families had a higher risk of developing antisocial behavior. The studies on preschool respondents said that 30% of those with misbehavior belonged to lower economic classes as compared to only 3% to 6% in higher economic classes. The preschoolers from lower economic classes also tended to develop lower or slower language ability levels and poorer social skills. They also developed bad temper and temperament, which would become worse when their families confronted financial stressors and limited resources. # BIBLIOGRAPHY Black, B. (2004). Child abuse. 4 pages. Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health: Thomas Gale Brook, J. S. , Whiteman, M. , Zheng, L. (2002). Intergenerational transmission of risks for problem behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology: Plenum Publishing Corporation Conger, R. D. , Neppi, T. , Kim, K. J. and Scaramilla, L. (2003). 20 pages. Angry and aggressive behavior across three generations: a prospective longitudinal study of parents and children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Plenum Publishing Corporation Dubow, E. F. (2003). Theoretical and methodical considerations in cross- generational research on parenting and child aggressive behavior. 10 pages. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Plenum Publishing Corporation. Fiorello, C. A. (2001). Common myths of children’s behavior. 4 pages. Skeptical Inquirer: Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Fox, L. (2002). Early intervention, positive behavior support, and transition to school. 31 pages. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Pro-Ed, Inc. Lewin, L, Davis, B. and Hops, H. (999). Childhood social predictors of adolescent antisocial behavior: gender differences in predictive accuracy and efficacy. 20 pages. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Plenum Publishing Corporation. Qi, C. H and Kaiser, A. (2003). Behavior problems of preschool children from low-income families. 82 pages. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education: Pro-Ed, Inc Raine, A. (2002). Biosocial studies of antisocial and violent behavior in children and adults. 20 pages. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology: Plenum Publishing Corpora

The Film Industry Of Bollywood Cultural Studies Essay

The Film Industry Of Bollywood Cultural Studies Essay Bollywood, the second largest film industry is widely known for its form of creative art. It is a form of art with the ability to entertain, educate, and reflect and shape our sense of who we are and our understanding of the society in which we live in. In Hindi films there exits the hero and heroine, however gender hierarchy can be seen and importance is imposed on the male actor. One would agree that the Hindi film industry is male-centric, with limited space for females to be versatile in the character they play. The roles played by the heroine are the same guidelines seen within the Indian society. The Indian society is an influence to Bollywood and is what shapes and defines the roles played by females in films. The portrayal of women in Hindi films has been stable in correspondence to the norms and values contained by the Indian society. If the image [of women in the cinema] is submissive or secondary, it is the society who is responsible for it . . . filmmakers, keeping in min d the commercial aspect of films, simply highlight what exists (Prabhu 2001, 185). (6) India is known to be a hierarchal society, whether it is religion, northern or southern Indian all groups of people are ranked according to various qualities. Within gender hierarchy, men outrank women of the same or similar age, and senior relatives outrank junior relatives (1). This same concept is taken into the Hindi film industry where more emphasis is created on the male actor. From the beginning of the film process importance is on the male. For example within the internal aspects of film processing the second step is acquisition of leading male role and then followed by female acquisitions (class lecture). None the less, females are a priority in films; however their portrayals in films are steady and follow certain guidelines according to the roles played. Indian society has many norms and values, one being the role played by an individual in the society. In Indian society the dominant forms of patriarchal ideology how women are seen as subjected-as either the nurturing mother, the innocent wife, the vamp or the educated modern women. One or more forms of these roles are always portrayed in Hindi films. With these roles come specific characteristics that are viewed in the society which are then followed and expressed in Hindi films. For examples it known for an ideal women figures include passive, victimized, sacrificial, submissive, glorified, static, one-dimensional and resilient (3). These are the traits that are then brought into the film which not only reflect culture, but also shape culture. India is a religiously complex society with dominancy in the complex religion of Hinduism. In traditional Indian society there were definite and essential norm of behaviour that was usually passed down from the past. For example Sita, from the Hindu mythology of Ramayana was seen as ideal women, ideal wife as she was steadfastly loyal to her husband and obeys his wishes unquestionably (4).Hindi films have achieved this ideal of wifes self devotion. The Indian society is known to be restricted to strict rules and regulations which are to be followed by women. The moral of the Indian society states no independence in women and always is committed to her significant. For example a female in childhood is subjected to her father, in youth to her husband and after to her children. This interpretation of females can be seen in the film Mother India directed by Mehoob Khan. This film reveals the ideal characteristics of a mother played by Nargis. At the beginning of the movie it seen that sh e plays the typical role of a female who is married in an Indian traditional manner. The song Pi Ke Ghar Aaj Pyari Dulhaniya Chali is a significant with the line that states that it is a womens fate to leave home. This applies to the traditional moral of the female being passed on from the authority of the father to her husband who now she must be committed to. This is seen in the character. Dharma referring self-subsistence or a universal law or norm, which applies at the moral, the ritual and social level (5). This is another religious and mythological aspect that is inflicted upon women. This is also portrayed in the film through and expressed in the song Duniya Men Hum Aaye Hain. Here the lyrics in the song express that the only honour that a women has in her life is a womens dharma. In context of the movie it states that a women may overcome her struggles but with the conditions that are still expected with the role of a mother. After her husband leaving her she still has hope that he will return and keeps faith and raises her children on her own sacrificing whatever it takes from her. This shows the over stresses on the love for husband and the duties she has as a mother. It can be seen that in any case, in Indian society the first priority of females is to always keep in mind the norms and values placed on them as females. One may argue that these norms and values have changed within the Indian society with the progression of modernization. However, the lifestyle may have changed in roles of mothers, but the beliefs of the values and norms still exist. For example Kal Ho Na Ho directed by Nikhil Advani is a film set in New York with a modern setting. The role played by Jaya Bachchan shows similar characteristics of a mother which were portrayed by Nargis in Mother India. Jaya Bachchan, also a widowed female in the film experiences many difficulties due to her husband committing suicide. Even though the true reasoning behind the suicide is known by her, the blame is turned towards her by her mother-in-law. However, this does not stop her from being loyal to her husband as she stayed widowed and to the challenge to raise her children and show her devotee towards her husband. Throughout the film we see that she still supports her husband when people including her daughter talk negatively about him. Here she is also in the struggle of bringing her children up on her own and sacrifices all she has to raise them and keep them happy. In both Kal Ho Na Ho and Mother India the role of the mother can be seen to be dedicated with the qualities of self sacrifice, devotionally and religiously. If not seen as a traditional woman with traditional values, in Hindi films the female is then portrayed as the vamp or modernized women. Bollywood shows both the traditional and modernity of females, yet tends portrays the modern as immoral and favour the traditional aspects. The vamp is usually portrayed as morally dishonoured person and associated with everything that is disagreeable about the west (4). Again this is due to the norms and values seen in the Indian society. In this case women are seen as decorative objects and used for entertainment. Courtesan is another common role played by women which is attended for an arousing effect upon men. These types of roles are usually associated with protagonist character. The female is seen modern and revealing clothes and becomes an object of male desire. In many films with picturization of this role of female is usually seen to be glamorous and captures the females beauty in a sensual manner. An example of this is seen in the movie Sh olay directed by Ramesh   Sippy in the song Mehbooba Mehbooba. Here the female dancer appears very different from the other female lead roles. She is there for entertainment and to add glamour. Her clothes are revealing and she is used for the pleasure of the antagonist. A similar but slightly different scene is also seen in Kal Ho Na Ho with the song Its the time to disco. The difference in this song is that the lead female is in the song but is portrayed with a different characteristic that is not the usual in her role. Here Naina (Preity Zinta) is raised in New York but is a casual girl. This seen the her apparel as it is not revealing yet modernized. However, in the song a different perspective of her is seen when she gets drunk. Her clothes become more revealing and her actions are different. This is intended to show how a female may act when they go outside of their boundaries of the Indian society and the consequence of it. Jaswinder (Lilette Dubby) in the movie is would be seen as the vamp in the movie as her clothes are modish and she is flirty around men. Not only women who werent in traditional clothes seen as vamps. But those who didnt obey traditional rules. These would include who are adventurous, independent and values different norms. Thus, women commonly in Hindi films are either the modernized seductive role or the sophisticated tradition Indian women. There are many women in the Bombay film industry. Many have reacted with different opinions on how females are being portrayed. For example quoted from Ayesha Jhulka, an actress: You have to accept the fact that its a male-dominated industry. And you have to accept that basically heroes are given much more importance than the heroineSo its better to accept it and then carry on. You have your own place which nobody else can take. What you can do, the heroes probably cant do (7). Another opinion quoted by the actress Shabana Azmi: The one thing that hasnt changed only superficially I think, is in its portrayal of womenI think its a waste if you dont offer them and give them roles that are on par with their heroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I think that would be very interesting, and basically do films that are pro-women (7). Lastly. Actress Ritha Bhaduri states: At the moment I think character roles have more to say than the female heroine, actressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦There are very few films that are wom en-oriented, or have a women dominating the whole thing (7). From these opinions of several actresses it can be conclude that many actresses are aware of the stereotypical roles given to women in Hindi films. The do feel that there isnt much importance strained on them, but also know that a film without a complementing female role with the male would not make much progress. Even though role of females are driven by the aspects in the Indian society, actresses have continued to accept the roles and play them according. As stated previously the main cause for this orientation is due to what takes place in the society. As the Indian society makes different progression a change in female roles in Hindi films will also be seen. In conclusion, the female roles played in Hindi film are very restricted and do not have space for variety. Either they are seen as objects to add glamour and entertainment to the film or they are portrayed with important roles such as mothers but with general Indian societal values that come with that role. Endnotes: http://www.heinonline.org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/HOL/Page?men_tab=srchresultshandle=hein.cow/cowcs0040id=295size=2collection=cowterms=women|womens|Women|Womenstermtype=phraseset_as_cursor=#287 Class lecture http://www.saswat.com/blog/women_journalists_bollywood.html https://moodle10.yorku.ca/moodle/file.php/12062/Readings/Women_in_Indian_Cinema0001.pdf https://moodle10.yorku.ca/moodle/file.php/12062/Readings/Cinema_and_Society_in_India0001.pdf http://www.nzasia.org.nz/downloads/NZJAS-%20Dec07/02Booth6.pdf http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=GTEa93azj9ECoi=fndpg=PP8dq=portrayal+of+women+in+popular+hindi+filmsots=OkbhSM0gfBsig=nPH6-uJz2wCft5FsivGe-opdg1c#v=onepageq=portrayal%20of%20women%20in%20popular%20hindi%20filmsf=false http://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseEditEssayBollywoodFilms/dxklq/post.htm http://saswat.com/articles/bollywomen.htm http://www.questia.com/PM.qst;jsessionid=1460AF79FA0D92C0202D67F85883F2D5.inst3_3b?a=od=98736980gserror=true Portrayal of women in Bollywood then, now and in the  past. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Changing-Face-of-Women-In-Indian-Cinemaid=87034 http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=Alk5iwv1y_MCoi=fndpg=PA146dq=general+gender+hierarchy+ots=8nq76NqH2Osig=VTnkZoje6Xd2i6c6GRTH9u123Eo#v=onepageq=general%20gender%20hierarchyf=false http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=kfVdxiSm-aYCoi=fndpg=PR7dq=hidden+messages+in+hindi+song+filmsots=yS1CgltbAHsig=zc15PBYPSwopVvlpkUpomMBDbT8#v=onepageqf=false http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=cgDHFFe7YM8Coi=fndpg=PA191dq=themes+in+hindi+filmsots=Mq6lmD7Dedsig=kli9MXI-zSzX8CPBq7DKU0VkGxk#v=onepageq=themes%20in%20hindi%20filmsf=false http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0022-3840.1996.00173.x/abstract

The Spread of Television in 1950s, in America Essay -- Television

The ‘Golden Age of Television’ is what many refer to as the period between the 1950s and 60s when the television began to establish itself as a prevalent medium in the United States. In 1947, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and the Du Mont Network were the four main television networks that ran stations with regular programming taking place. (Television, 2003) While regular television programming was a new innovation, the television itself had been commercially available for over twenty years prior to the 50s. It was conceived by many worldly innovators and went through several testing stages before it was finally completed in the late twenties. The three main innovators were Niplow - who first developed a rotating disk with small holes arranged in a spiral pattern in 1884, Zworykin - who developed the Iconoscope which could scan pictures and break them into electronic signals (a primi tive form of the Cathode Ray Tube) in 1923, and lastly Fansworth - who demonstrated for the first time that it was possible to transmit an electrical image in 1927. (Rollo, 2011) However, one of the many reasons why this medium was successful in the 50s was due to the fact that it became more accessible to the public. Television sets were more affordable to middle class citizens which created further interest in the new technology. Through an historical account of the medium, the spread of television across America throughout this particular decade will be examined. Firstly, for the purposes of illustrating the cultural context of this decade, I will refer to Lynn Spigel’s writing entitled â€Å"Welcome to the Dreamhouse: Popular Media and Postwar Suburb†. After WWII... ...t has not stopped television from being one of the most successful mediums for the dissemination of information. Works Cited Paul S. Boyer. "Television." The Oxford Companion to United States History. 2001. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O119-Television.html Bretz, Rudy , 1957 â€Å"Video Tape: A TV Revolution† The Quarterly of Film Radio and Television , Vol. 11, No. 4 pp. 399-415 Published by: University of California Press Article Stable URL: www.jstor.org/stable/1210000 Ganzel, Bill. (2007). Television during the 1950s and 60s. Retrieved from http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/life_17.html Rollo, Mike. 2011  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Video History† Film/Video I Lecture Notes Spigel, Lynn. 2001 Welcome to the dreamhouse : popular media and postwar suburbs / Lynn Spigel Duke University Press, Durham, N.C. :

societhf Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And Society :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And Society "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn," according to Ernest Hemingway. Along with Ernest, many others believe that Huckleberry Finn is a great book, but is the novel subversive? Since this question is frequently asked, people have begun to look deeper into the question to see if this novel is acceptable for students in schools to read. First off subversive means something is trying to overthrow or destroy something established or to corrupt (as in morals). According to Lionel Trilling, " No one who reads thoughtfully the dialectic of Huck's great moral crisis will ever again be wholly able to accept without some question and some irony the assumptions of the respectable morality by which he lives, or will ever again be certain that what he considers the clear dictates of moral reason are not merely the engrained customary beliefs of his time and place." Trilling feels that Huck Finn is such a subversive character that th is will not make people believe in something totally again, because they will fear being wrong like the society in Huckleberry Finn was. I believe this and I think the subversion in the novel is established when Mark Twain begins to question the acceptable morality of society. Twain uses humor and effective writing to make Huckleberry Finn a subversive novel about society in the 19th century. Huck Finn, a boy referred to as "white trash," is a boy that has grown up believing totally what society as taught him. This passage shows an example of how society teaches him. "...And keep them till they're ransomed." "Ransomed? What's that?" "I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in the books, and so of course that's what we've got to do." "Well how can we do it if we don't know what it is?" "Why, blame it all, we've got to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?" (8-9) This is a conversation between Tom Sawyer and his gang of robbers. This shows how the boys are influenced by society and believe they most follow exactly what is in the books, because that is the right way to do things.

Tombs And Temples Essay -- essays research papers

What are some major architectural structures of Ancient Egypt? There are many amazing sites of architecture in Egypt from ancient times. Many have been discovered, but there are still ones being discovered and excavated today. Pyramids, tombs, and temples are the main structures still standing that can be seen today. The first tombs of the pharaohs were large, unimpressive, bunker affairs called mastabas. A mastaba (Arabic for "bench") is a low rectangular structure which was built over a shaft which descended to the burial location. They were made from sun dried mud bricks and most have long since crumbled to dust. This all changed around 2630 BC with the creation of the step pyramid. The Step Pyramid was designed for King Djoser ,of the 3rd dynasty, by his vizier, Imhotep. The pyramid is located in Saqqara, the main necropolis of Memphis. The Saqqara pyramid has a series of six levels of stone decreasing in size as they ascend to about 200 feet/60 meters in height. The Step Pyramid originally began as a mastaba, and it has been visualized as a series of mastaba shapes, decreasing in size, stacked one on top of another. The surface was originally encased in smooth white limestone which must have caught the sun light and reflected its rays. It has the distinction of being the site of the first large stone structure built in the world. The place where humans began to strive for the impossible, where the imagination gained the power to transform reality. Some of the loveliest works of art ever seen can be found at Saqqara, in the tombs of the nobles. The limestone walls are delicately incised with myriads of animals, fish, birds, insects, vegetation and people - hunting, herding and farming. Some of the forms still retain their original paint, after 4,500 years! The quality of these compositions demonstrates that the Egyptians had attained, at an early stage, an artistic culture of a very high order. Cattle Crossing is an etching made from sketches done at Saqqara. The medium of etching, itself a process of erosion, seems well suited to capturing the time worn quality of the relief carving. The person responsible for the step pyramid, Imhotep, is credited as being the inventor of building in stone and was a man of many talents - Architect, physician, master sculpture, scribe, and astronomer. He must be the first true genius in recorded history and t... ...ed these. Dendara was also used as a healing centre and in the grounds stands an ancient hospital along with a sacred lake. After visiting Dendara one gets a feel for the layout of other temples along the Nile and in the minds eye it is possible to reconstruct the really huge design of buildings like Karnak. What really grabbed my artistic attention among all this magnificence was a small detail. The place sings with the music of birds. Hundreds of them roost in small cracks and hollows in the walls seeming to contemplate their carved likeness in the hieroglyphic reliefs. There is one other thing that stirs the imagination, the building bares the name of the famous Cleopatra and her son, whose father was Julius Caesar. It is possible that these celebrate personalities climbed the same stairs and contemplated, on high, the same landscape which stretches for miles below. In Summation, some of the most precious examples of architecture from the ancient world are of the ancient Egyptians. Although the ancient Egyptians lived in a primitive world, they proved to have great knowledge for building lasting structures that would forever have a unique and majestic influence on the world.

Meditation

Meditation is believed to have originated from the followers of Buddhism.   Buddhist teaching of Nirvana or the end of suffering may be attained by cultivating within oneself the values of morality, mindfulness and wisdom.   The means to Mindfulness is through Meditation, the ancient Buddhist ritual. Meditation has been with the world for thousands of years.   It has evolved from its spiritual origin and is practiced today for health, therapeutic and wellness reasons as well.   They have several techniques like, Breathing, Transforming, and Transcendental.  Ã‚   The basic components that must be present in meditation are:   a quiet place, a relaxed posture, deep concentration, and open mind. Apart from the religious relevance of Meditation, it also has its practical importance in our modern and daily existence.  Ã‚   Life these days can be so rushed.   Most of the time, our energy is sapped and we are over-fatigued.   We work more, relax less.   Our health can be negatively affected.   If we stop for a few minutes and do Breathing Meditation we will calm our nerves and reduce our stress. Meditation helps change mental attitudes.   When our minds are troubled, we are generally unhappy.   With Transforming Meditation we focus on pleasant thoughts and become individuals with peaceful and happy dispositions.   Transforming Meditation is a common spiritual exercise of the Buddhist religion. Worldly concerns fill our minds with worries.   We need to relieve our minds with this mental garbage and unwanted burden.   Then and only then will we truly be liberated and in the process find peace of mind and gladness of heart.   Even if we have the best things in life, these Page 2 3/31/2017 would not necessarily make us happy.   It would be inner calm and quiet that would make for lasting and real joy, even in the most challenged situations.   Such state could be attained if we are trained in the ways of Meditation. Controlling the mind is difficult.   The mind is pliant that it goes with the flow of circumstances.   When everything goes the way we want them to go, then we are pleased.   If it is contrary to how we want things to be, we feel bad.   These things, pleasant and unpleasant, affect our disposition in life.   Our being happy or sad depends on the occurrences in our daily existence.   With Meditation we will learn to control our mind and consequently our heart, the seat of our emotions.   Meditation creates an inner balance in us and it enables us to take both the difficult and smooth times with equanimity. Meditation drives away negative attitudes that cause us misery.   When we resort to meditation as a routine we train our minds to focus on the positive.   This way, we always see the bright side of life. Most wellness clinics promote the practice of Meditation.   Wellness through Meditation relaxes the body, calms the mind and soothes the soul to combat diseases and illness.   Research is also ongoing to find conclusive health benefits of Meditation.   They are optimistic that Mediation may help find cures for certain diseases and medical conditions.   â€Å"Meditation for health purposes is a mind-body practice in complimentary and alternative medicine†¦..   There are many types of Meditation.   A conscious mental process using certain techniques, such as focusing attention or maintaining a specific posture – to suspend the stream of thoughts and relax the mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (NCCAM, 2007). As an alternative and complement to conventional medicine, Meditation may be used to heal mind and body maladies.   Health and medical practitioners study the relationship of man’s brain, mind, body and his behavior and their reactions to each other.   They are hoping to use the mind to influence the other body functions.   Some health problems are caused or associated with the emotional, mental, social, spiritual and behavioral state of the individual.   Examples of these ailments are:   anxiety, pain, depression, low self-esteem, mood swings, stress, insomnia and the physical and emotional pain of heart diseases, HIV/AIDS and cancer. Meditation helps patients handle their medical condition better through awareness and acceptance.   While meditating, a person concentrates on his body experience minus the distractions.     Ã‚  The person is allowed to experience the sensation without the deductive reaction.   The body is allowed to calm down, rest and relax. Managing stress, ability to cope, and therapeutic relaxation complement cure for disorders accompanied by pain like arthritis.   In other cases and disorders, prior to surgery, patients are made to undergo relaxation procedures that may lessen pain and shorten recovery time.   Studies continue to find how mind-body interventions may be applied to the psychological part of treating patients with chronic ailments and as well as that in need of palliative care. Meditation is many things to many people, a practice that has been handed down through generations.   It promotes the concept of mind power in combating ailments, in de-stressing, in enhancing one’s spirituality, conquering pain, training the mind and heart to things positive, and self-healing.   The benefits of meditation extend from the spiritual, mental, psychological to the physical circumstances of people.   They have calm, happy, positive and healthy outlook in life. Generally, meditators were transformed and have transcended. References Dharma. (2007). Meditation and Mental Culture.   Retrieved September 9, 2007 Dharma. (2007). The Noble Eight-fold Path.   Retrieved September 9, 2007 from http://dharma.nef.ca/introduction/truths/NobleTruth-4html How to Meditate.Org. (2002-2003). How to Meditate.   Retrieved September 9, 2007 from http://www.how-to-meditate.org/ NCCAM. (2007, August 22). Meditation.   Retrieved September 9, 2007 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/ NCCAM. (2007, August 3). Meditation for Health Purposes. Retrieved September 9, 2007 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm NCCAM. (2007, July 13). Mind-Body Medicine: An Overview. Retrieved September 9, 2007 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/mindbody.htm         

The management of medical emergencies Essay

The management of medical emergencies at initial stages has many impacts in the development of the medical situation. By being proficient enough in managing medical emergencies in primary care setting, one has comprehensive and first-hand information. This information is very helpful to help the medical practitioners implement the most relevant measures to the situation. In the case of sexual assault, proper medication will be prescribed to the victim of the assault immediately before the situation grows very critical and complex to handle. Taking for instance, sexual assault where the victim risked contracting sexually transmitted infection. In this scenario, the most appropriate post exposure measures will be prescribe to the person to prevent the enhancement of the disease. Proper management of emergencies is the main determiner of the future progress in the situation. In emergency cases at primary care setting, it is possible that professional trainees will not have the opportunity to contemporaneously experience an emergency in which they learn and practice skills during the General Practitioners part of their training; therefore not fulfilling a major part of the every medical college curriculum. Some may feel that the Specialist Trainees will get sufficient experience in managing acute emergencies during the secondary care part of their training, but there are several reasons why is felt that specific training for primary care setting is essential. With the expansion of training in General Practitioners from 12 to 18 months at the expense of secondary training, specialist trainees will be exposed to fewer opportunities to experience acute emergencies due to the lower prevalence in primary as opposed to secondary care. Moreover, with the move to create, secondary care posts located predominantly in outpatient departments or future polyclinic facilities, the opportunity for emergency care experience will decrease even more over the full scope of General Practitioner training (Amorosi & Thorn, 2012, p. 77). In contrast, in primary care, though the materials are usually available and maintained in case an emergency situation should arise, these skills are rarely used. Moreover, the supportive practitioners (nurses, receptionist and fellow clinicians), though receiving yearly training; may wait years before they get to practise their skills on a real case. Furthermore, the specialist trainee, being transplant from the relatively standardized and familiar context of the hospital or outpatient department to a new and much more variable care setting, will be disoriented and relatively isolated if he or she is confront with a patient having a life-threatening event. Finally, many Specialist trainees while having participated in the provision of emergency care will never have taken the responsibility for directing the care, to lead the clinician during the emergency (Goldfrank, 2010, p. 86). Evidence based plan of care is very beneficial in an emergency. The evidence in the emergency provides medical practitioners with information about the cause of the emergency. This data not only ensures proper medication to the affected, but also gives nurses and clinicians confidence in approaching the emergency. Confidence in the clinician motivates in their effort to assist the affected person. The victims of the emergency stand a better chance to acquire quality and proper medication. Proper medications that come with the evidence to the emergency facilitate the chances of survival to emergency victim. In most situations, emergency victims are very critical and, therefore, they deserve a high attention to safe (Queenan, 2012, p. 112). By provision of evidence about the cause of their ailment, their chances of survival are increase by proper administration of medication. Evidence based plan of care is cost effective in an emergency. A lot is a waste through trying to minimise a situation that lacks evidence of its rise. Through provision of the causes that result to an emergency, many resources that could be used in search for evidence are saved. In evidence base plan of care, there is both subjective and objective information that is available. Subjective information comprises of all material facts about causes of the ailment. These may information of the real causes of the ailment that led to ailment.in the case of an accident, the subjective information is that the emergency result from sudden impact of the accident. Objective information, on the other hand, entails all those details about an emergence that would guide medical practitioners in treating the victim of an emergency. Such information includes information such as the time when the emergency occurred and how the victim was affect by the situation. It helps the medical practitioners to judge the victim biologically and try to help him as from the information acquired. For instance, in a situation where the victim was involve in a road accident the interest about the evidence that a medical practitioner may wish to know, are details like how long it has taken the victim since the occurrence of the accident. The levels of blood loss, if any and the intensity of the result of an accident to the victim’s body are amongst the important facts for a medical practitioner. These goal Facts would guide the medical practitioner in describing the most appropriate medication to the victim. Proper medication would mean high chances of recovery to the victim. Evidence based plan of care is the most reliable for effective medication. References Amorosi,  E., & Thorn,  G. (2012). Managing Medical Emergencies. New York: The Author. Goldfrank,  L. (2010). Goldfrank’s Toxicologic Emergencies. Norwalk, Conn: Appleton & Lange. Queenan,  J. (2012). Managing Ob/gyn Emergencies. Oradell, N.J: Medical Economics Books. Source document