Female Body Dissatisfaction

The Media's Influence on Female Body Dissatisfaction Too often we hear ourselves and others complain about the way we look. Females of all ages complain that they need to lose weight, need a nose Job, lip injections, Bottom, and implants. These surgical procedures are even advertised on public transportation. Most of us are not satisfied with our bodies even though we are considered healthy. What can possibly be the cause for most women to be dissatisfied with their natural bodies? Consider that most women are comparing themselves to unrealistic models in magazines and â€Å"perfect† bodies advertising assign and beauty products.Notice I quote the word perfect, I do this because I believe body image is subjective, yet many people don't think so anymore causing them to become dissatisfied with their bodies. This unfortunate dissatisfaction is caused by the way the media portrays beauty and the ideal body. Commissioning editor of The Observer magazine Eva Washman, In her persuas ive-informative article, â€Å"Uncomfortable in our skin: the body-image report,† discusses the media's massive role on the way most people, from pre teens to senior citizens, are dissatisfied with their bodies.She adopts an earnest tone in order to display Just how massive the media's role towards this issue is to her adult readers. Washman's purpose is to expose that the way the media displays the ideal attractive body will, has, and is causing people from as young as age seven to be dissatisfied with their body. Washman advises people, who feel dissatisfied with their bodies, to consume the media critically and realize that they are advertising trying to sell them something. In the beginning of her article washman arrives at the University of the West of England to visit the world's only Centre for Appearance Research (Car).There she meets the women of the Car, a team led by Professor Nicholas Ramsey and Dry Diana Harcourt, to discuss their research on how people deal with changing attitudes to appearance, and along the way helping answer the question: why do people, women and men, hate the way they look? She mentions to them that she doesn't like the way she looks as well. Throughout her article she points out four main points about the way the media is effecting the way people, specifically women, hate the way they look.First she points out that people are becoming dissatisfied with their appearance from a onus age and for many women it lasts almost forever. Second she points out that people who are dissatisfied with their appearance compare themselves to social networked strangers, celebrities, and to photodiode images provided by the media. Third she points out that It is the fashion industry fault for making skinny, bony, unhealthy models seem like the ideal â€Å"perfect body' because their size zero sample sizes force the media to advertise on such bodies.The fourth point, she adds, is that today's diets, which are continuously advertised by the media in magazines, TV, and he radio, are the way people are cognitively encouraged to eat and are to blame for their anxiety. Washman concludes that the best way for people to get past the media false portrayal of the ideal â€Å"perfect† body, is to consume the media critically by reminding themselves that the media is advertising, and they are Just trying to sell them a certain product. Washman also concludes that after leaving the Car she is still insecure with her appearance but she now has a better understanding of why she feels that way.Washman furthers her purpose by effectively combining the use of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos to expand her main points. Washman Effectively convinces her audience that the media has a massive role on the way most people, from pre teens to senior citizens, are dissatisfied with their bodies through the use of interviewing women who are in a powerful position in the media paired with emotional stories from victims of this dissatisfaction including herself. She also tells of her extensive research in the area to make her readers believe in her credibility.By using all 3 strategies, Logos, Ethos, and Pathos she effectively gets the reader to believe her logically, to relate emotionally, and to establish her authority. Although washman's article is strong and credible, I believe she personalizes the topic. The Car talks in general about the way people hate the way they look while she mainly focuses on the female sex. I think that took away from her purpose because she started out talking about both sexes but got into detail on only the effect it has on females. Also, throughout the article she misuses Ethos or authority by not citing her sources in some areas.I agree with all of Wigwams points completely, I can relate to them because I personally am dissatisfied with my appearance and she helped me analyze why the media is to blame for our dissatisfaction. Specifically thou I agree that our anxiety. I always feel so g uilty when I have a piece of chocolate or a bag of chips. The reason I feel guilty is because I feel like models and women who are considered sexy are watching out, working hard, and avoiding these foods, and I am eating them and not being as slim as the people who don't.Washman mention Bounce's Bibb post pregnancy weight loss in her article to support my thoughts and feelings. Washman's effective use of Logos and misuse of ethos appears in her first point; People are coming dissatisfied with their appearance at a young age, and in many cases this dissatisfaction lasts almost forever. She uses Logos or logic to prove her point by bringing in statistics. She explains that at age 5 children start to realize that their appearance is being Judged by others, at age seven they feel insecure and dissatisfied with their appearance, and that 90% of women in Britain feel anxious about their body image. Although she did somewhat prove her point she did not include her source here, which causes the audience to question her credibility of this topic. She then explained that this can almost last forever in some women. Contrastingly in this part of her evidence Washman clearly states â€Å"And it doesn't wane – many women in their ass are still anxious about the way their bodies look which, Professor Ramsey explains, can even affect their treatment in hospital, when their health choices are influenced by aesthetics. I agree with her because, being born in the mid ass's, I went through body dissatisfaction at a very young age. I used to cry to my mom when I was 6 because I didn't look anything like Barbie. Now I feel very ignorant for that but I still feel dissatisfied with my body even though I am at a healthy weight. She shows logic because her point is clear and specific, she has strong reason, and she gives evidence of her point, but her evidence is not completely credible therefore her logos or logic is not either because in order to have strong logic your eviden ce must also be credible.As you can see in her statistics she discuses males, she only speaks of females, this will most likely cause her body image-dissatisfied males to draw away from her article. Washman then uses Ethos in a better way along with pathos or emotion to continue to prove her first point. She connects herself by going back to her editing career. She tells a story about her emotions towards her appearance. She states â€Å"Two years ago I started writing a column for this magazine, illustrated by a photo of my face. At times it made me feel odd (l have never liked photos), at other times sad, often anxious.It made me more aware that I don't like the way I look, but more, I don't like the fact that I don't like it. But it's not Just me. All Car's research suggests that Britain's body image is in crisis. † Here she establishes authority effectively by connecting herself to the gist and she uses Car as a credible source. Pathos is used here because of her emotiona l story bout how she has been feeling dissatisfied with her appearance for the past two years of her career. The emotion she used is where the Pathos strategy comes in.She gets the audience to relate to her feelings by using this story to get there emotions going and to also get them to imagine the illustration of her face. She uses the words Odd, sad, and anxious. Her use of diction here is clear there is a pattern of sadness in her words to get the audience to realize how the media affects their emotions negatively Just like it does for her. I think she should have used a much stronger rod than sad, I would liked it if she used the word gloomy or even another word that is more intense such as depressed.Also I think the women and men reading this will find themselves questioning what exactly made her feel sad, odd, and anxious. What about the illustration made her feel that way? She does not demonstrate the illustration at all. I think if she was more specific, It would bring more emotion to them and help them imagine the illustration more vividly. Wigwams point that people who are dissatisfied with their appearance compare themselves to social worked strangers, celebrities, and to photodiode images revived by the media is proven by her effective use of logic.This time she establishes better Ethos or authority to make it much more credible. â€Å"We've always compared ourselves to other people, but what has changed is the way we use images. † She says. She then brings up a famous study, to back her claim up, which looked at teenage girls in Fiji after TV was introduced to them in 1995. The study showed that after three years of the girls watching TV, the most ones who watched it were 50% more likely to describe themselves as â€Å"too fat†; 29% scored highly on a test of eating-disorder risk.Her clear use of statistics and logic causes her audience to believe what she is saying because she has evidence, a scientific study, to go with her thesis. She establishes credibility by proving that the media really does have a massive affect on their body dissatisfaction and the evidence is there to speak for her. I can't agree with her more on this. The medias role here is way too clear. Many of my friends are always out to get that celebrity look and do not feel satisfied because they will never look exactly like that celebrity.I think if this study was done again in 2013 the rates would be much higher. Washman uses Pathos or emotion and Ethos or authority to prove her third point; It is the fashion industry fault for making skinny, bony, unhealthy models seem like the ideal â€Å"perfect body' because their size zero sample sizes force the media to advertise on such bodies. Washman decides to use a personal interview with the editor of Vogue Alexandra Sultan. Washman explains that Sultan herself knows that â€Å"real people†, actors featured in Vogue, don't fit sample size cloths.Her exact words are â€Å"We're sitting i n her bright white office, beside shelves displaying international Vogue covers. She points at them one by one. Washman says. † As she pointed at them one by one washman says that she that she explained that the celebrities in each of the covers were wearing sample sizes that fit them tight, unlike the models. † The way she presents this information is much more detailed and adds vivid images of their conversation. This kind of vivid information presented with such strong imaginary detail is a great example of the way Washman uses detail in proving her third point.She continues to add evidence, but now she uses Ethos. She speaks of sultans efforts to get the fashion industry to roved larger sample sizes because she did not like that their tiny designs were forcing editors to shoot them on models with no â€Å"breasts or hips†. Washman then asks sultan if she has seen any change throughout her efforts. Sultan sees that there is still a bit off blindness and the fas hion industry does not realize that people want to see something different. I completely agree with sultan because I am the same way as well.I am Muslim and often times I prefer shopping at boutiques owned by other Muslims because they provide Muslim and middle eastern fashion and there models wear a hajji Just like I do. Washman also agrees with her by saying â€Å"She's right†, but she doesn't stop there she adds her evidence. She states â€Å"Ben Barry (a PhD student at Cambridge University) surveyed 3,000 women, the vast majority of whom significantly increase purchase intentions when they see a model that reflects their age, size and race†. Here Washman demonstrates complete credibility.She demonstrates respect for sultans viewpoint and thoughts. Backs up both her thoughts and Sultans thoughts with credible evidence and sources, and she cited her source correctly. Her fourth point claiming that Today's diets, which are mutinously advertised by the media in magazin es, TV, and the radio, are the way people are cognitively encouraged to eat and are to blame for their anxiety she combines the use of ethos and logos to show credibility and then uses pathos to get her audience to emotionally feel her thesis. Washman starts out with the use of statistics.She begins by mentioning that rates of depression in women and girls doubled between 2000 and 2010 then she adds that the more women self objectify themselves the more they become depressed. She proposes that this is caused by the medias warm embrace of disordered eating. Then she backs up her thoughts with evidence. â€Å"Garcia reports that Beyond lost 60 pounds of â€Å"baby weight† by eating only lettuce. Cosmopolitan wrote about Kate Middleman's â€Å"Dugan diet†, which begins with seven days of pure protein, and later two â€Å"celebration meals† a week.If women don't look like Beyond or Kate Middleton, their flat stomachs a testament to their stamina then, it seems, the y are not working hard enough. † here she is using Logos by providing deductive reasoning. She uses this by first stating her evidence then proving her thoughts towards it and adding it to her thesis or point. She adds ethos to it by providing her sources correctly in this case her magazine titles while titillating them. This establishes her credibility. She continues to prove her fourth point by interviewing Lauren codger.Washman explains that Codger is, in her words, â€Å"One celebrity whose body is frequently scrutinized (and scorned) by the tabloid media†. Washman meets with Codger as she is weeks into a drastic diet plan. Washman says to her: † Many women feel Judged on their appearance in some way, but what does it feel like to have those verdicts read by 99 million people a month? † Now before I mention Codgers response I want to mention that washman most probably chose that question knowing that Codger is going to have an emotional response.She does this so she can be able to provide Pathos or emotion when she comes to write about her interview to her audience women who somewhat share the same feelings. Washman said that Codger responded by saying â€Å"l can't look at comments. I can't buy the mass any more. I used to love them, but I was happy then. Then my weight became a story, not Just for the show but for the press. Yeah, I'm definitely aware of the online scrutiny. My body becomes my work. † Codgers Response causes people who are dissatisfied with their bodies to feel worse for codger than they feel for themselves after reading this.Codger is one of the victims who find that today's diets are the way they cognitively feel encouraged to eat and are to blame for their anxiety. In sum, Washman's Article is very useful because it demonstrates the media's massive role on the way females, from pre teens to senior citizens, are dissatisfied with their bodies. It offers ways the media is trying to avoid this negative inf luence, the reasons fate the influence, who is to blame, ND what women can possibly do about it, even thou they do not have control over the way the media portrays beauty.Although it provides all these aspects to prove her thesis, I do not consider it one 100% credible because Washman forgets to cite some sources and loses focus when talking about women specifically instead of all people generally as she first stated. I Think both sexes are dissatisfied with their appearance equally from the media's false portrayal of beauty and the ideal body image.

God and Philosophy Essay

Many philosophers will say that God plays an important role in a person’s mental being. Others will argue that he doesn’t and that we decide by our own mentality. The three thinkers that will be discussed in this paper made a large impact in the philosophical world with their theories and reasons. Descartes, Kant, and Hume are all important players in the world of philosophy, but according to other philosophers, so is God. Rene Descartes, a noted French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, coined the Latin phrase â€Å"Cogito ergo sum† (I think, therefore I am). He â€Å"refused to accept the scholastic and Aristotelian traditions that had dominated philosophical thought throughout the medieval period† (www. iep. utm. edu). He frequently contrasted his views with those of his predecessors. In his theology, he insists on the absolute freedom of God’s act of creation. In 1641, he wrote Mediations on First Philosophy, which he employed a method called methodological skepticism; where he doubts any idea that can be doubted. God, in Descartes’ metaphysics, is the bridge from the subjective world of thought to the objective world of scientific truth. â€Å"The mind, owing its existence to God, is innately programmed with certain ideas that correspond to reality; hence the importance, in Descartes’ system, of proving the existence of God, the perfect guarantor of our ideas, so that the mediator can move from isolated flashes of cognition to systematic knowledge of the nature of reality† (Cottingham, 31). In Meditations, he mentions the idea of a benevolent God. â€Å"Because God is benevolent, he can have some faith in the account of reality his senses provide with a working mind and sensory system and does not desire to deceive him; however, this is a continuous argument, as his very notion of a benevolent God from which he developed this argument is easily subject to the same kind of doubt as his perceptions† (www. wikipedia. com†). Descartes sought to retain the belief in the existence of innate ideas together with an acceptance of the values of data and ideas derived from an experience. Next up is Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher that held that there is an objective moral law. Most philosophers view morality very differently. Some think there is an objective moral law, but that it depends on God’s will. â€Å"Others thought morality was to do with reason, but that the reasoning was all about how to promote some objective, like one’s own happiness of welfare of society† (Walker, 5). Kant rejected these ideas, because morality is depending on something outside itself- God’s will. Kant inquired whether it could be possible to ground synthetic ? a priori’ knowledge for a study of metaphysics, because most of the principles of metaphysics from Plato through Kant’s immediate predecessors made assertions about the world or about God or about the soul. Kant’s works of 1755 reveal more of his originality and his enduring themes. Universal Natural History, deriving the present state of the planets from postulated initial conditions by reiterated applications of the laws of Newtonian mechanics, manifests not only Kant’s commitment to those laws, for which he was subsequently to seek philosophical foundations, but also his commitment to thoroughly naturalistic explanations in science, in which God can be the initial source of natural laws but never intervenes within the sequence of physical causes. Kant still holds that the existence of God can be proved as a condition of the possibility of any reality. Finally, Kant further develops his argument that scientific explanation cannot allow divine intervention in the sequence of events, and that God must be seen only as the original ground of the laws of nature. The existence of God is therefore to Kant a necessary assumption for what he sees to be an objectively valid morality. Lastly, David Hume, British philosopher, is considered one of the most influential religious philosophers. Hume questioned the process of inductive thinking, which had been the hallmark of science. He criticized the standard proofs for God’s existence, traditional notions of God’s nature and divine governance, the connection between morality and religion, and the rationality of belief in miracles. He also advanced theories on the origin of popular religious beliefs, grounding such notions in human psychology rather than in rational argument or divine revelation. For Hume, all objects of human reason are divided into two kinds: Relations of Ideas and Matters of fact. All reasoning of matters of fact is founded on Cause and Effect. Cause and Effect play a big role in Hume’s philosophy. Hume wrote The Natural History of Religion in 1757. Its main theme is the causes and consequences of the religious development of mankind from polytheism to monotheism. â€Å"Belief in a god or gods is not natural like belief in an external world, since there are races in which it is not to be found† (Quinton, 52). Contrary to many critiques Hume does believe that there is a God, however he does not believe that God is all greatness like society commonly assumes and accepts. Hume argues that because one sees an effect that doesn’t mean that we can automatically know or assume its cause. This argument can be used to explain the creation of the world. As influential as Hume was, he remains an academic skeptic, making the reasonable judgments of an ordinary life, regardless of lack of academic knowledge. God played an important role in every philosopher’s thinking. They either tried to provide proof that he does or does not exist, or tried to decipher why so many people followed a man whom they have never even met. Nevertheless, God played an important role in Kant’s, Descartes’, and Hume’s philosophical thinking. Works Cited Burnham, Douglas and James Fieser. â€Å"Rene Descartes (1596-1650). † The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. < http://www. iep. utm. edu/d/descarte. htm>. Cottingham, John. Descartes. New York, Rutledge: 1999. Quinton, Anthony. Hume. New York, Rutledge: 1999. â€Å"Rene Descartes. † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Descartes. Walker, Ralph. Kant. New York, Rutledge: 1999.

Keeping Romance Real

In seeking to discover if the classic fathers of poetry can prove beneficial to the marketing of teen romance films, the poems of Shakespeare, Donne and Dryden should be revisited.   After all, William Shakespeare wrote over one hundred love sonnets, so certainly something should provide a link from the 1600 to the present.   What insight can these poets provide modern teenagers into this thing called romance?In answering this question, readers must first attempt to decipher what each of these authors means by romance.   Defining this term is difficult enough without having to pore over archaic volumes of poetry that seems to be written in a different language, even if it claims to be modern English!  Ã‚   However, when these tomes are dusted off and sifted through, definitions of romance do bubble to the surface.   For example, â€Å"Love’s Alchemy† by John Donne, â€Å"Ah, How Sweet it is to Love,† by John Dryden, and â€Å"Sonnets 116 and 130† by William Shakespeare, all have something to say about this most ambiguous term.First of all, John Donne expresses through his poem â€Å"Love’s Alchemy† the very mesmerizing nature of love.   His speaker is what modern people might call a naysayer (or teens call a buzz kill).   He is certain that his life is just a fulfilling as the lives of other men who are in love.   He proclaims love to be an â€Å"imposture, all!† (Donne, line 6).He points out that â€Å"no chemic yet th’elixer got† (line 7), meaning nobody has a recipe for love that he knows about and that those in love are merely dreaming.   The speaker questions the loss of â€Å"our ease, our thrift, our honour, and our day† to this â€Å"vain bubble’s shadow† of love (lines14-15).   He seems mystified at his colleagues finding the music of the spheres in the voices and minds of the women the say they love and ultimately concludes that women are possessed and therefore bewitch the men into loving them.This poem seems to indicate that love is a farce, black magic even which serves to intoxicate and brainwash the lover.   How true it is!   What teenager (or adult) would ever deny that he or she has done something completely insane, completely out of character, even completely embarrassing all in the name of love?   Donne’s speaker, though clearly lonely, has illuminated the very essence of love – magic.   Although this speaker’s sardonic treatment of romance is evident, the magic that seems to have beset his friend appears to be stronger than all of the speaker’s denial.   He is jealous and empty.John Dryden’s poem â€Å"Ah, how sweet it is to love!† takes a completely different tone from the pessimism of Donne’s.   This poem moves swiftly, like a song, without the drudgery of Donne’s lyric.   Of course some of the content is similar.   The speaker, though euphoric , notes the â€Å"pleasing pains we prove/When we first approach Love’s fire!†(Dryden, lines 3-4).   Even if this love produces tears, these tears are the â€Å"trickling balm† (line10) to the one in love.   The contrasts between pain and soothing pleasure in this poem in a way reinforces Donne’s theme that love is magic – but not black magic as Donne’s speaker might suggest.Here, the speaker praises the romantic experience as being an oxymoronic jaunt through emotion – pleasure and pain, joy and sadness, rise and fall.   The movement of this poem mimics the ups and downs of true romance – the incredible highs and the devastating lows.   Both are important parts of true love.   Nobody knows this better than a teenager who has gone on a magical date with his or her true love only to have that bubble burst even a few days later.   Of course the bubble resurfaces with another invitation and the cycle continues, as Dryd en’s speaker celebrates.Finally, the tried and true lover of all, William Shakespeare, actually focuses his reader on the realities of love and romance in two sonnets, numbers 116 and 130.   In these sonnets, Shakespeare takes a look at what a real romance really is by examining what love is not.   In Sonnet 116, the speaker cautions that love will not change as time goes by.   He notes that â€Å"Love is not love/which alters when it alteration finds† (Shakespeare, Sonnet 116, lines 2-3) and that â€Å"Love is not Time’s fool† (line 9).These lines suggest that changes in people’s looks will not change the nature of the romance.   In Sonnet 130, the speaker notes again the magical quality that love has on a person.   The speaker sets out by noting that his â€Å"mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun†(Shakespeare, Sonnet 130, line 1) and that her voice is far from musical.   He illuminates her physical faults only to argu e that she is a real person and that her faults do not have any impact on their relationship.   He loves her regardless and would not belittle that romance by offering the ridiculous comparisons of other people (and poets).Here Shakespeare grounds the readers.   After reading many poems which compare lovers to goddesses, teens might note a correlation with fashion magazines that compare women with 6 foot tall, size-zero models.  Ã‚   Love and romance is a real occurrence in life, so real faults and real pains will be involved.   Dryden and Shakespeare express these realities in their poems.   Donne expresses this magical quality about love that his speaker tries to denounce, but that has clearly caught his friends in its intoxicating web.Oddly, we see through these poems that love and romance are characterized as both reality-driven and magical.   The feelings are like none that people have ever felt, but these feelings are grounded in real appearances and real situation s.   Most teens today pronounce that they just want to â€Å"Keep it Real!†Ã‚   These poets, though years ago, can certainly help them in that capacity.Works CitedDonne, John.   â€Å"Love’s Alchemy.†Ã‚   Luminarium.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/alchemy.phpDryden, John. â€Å"Ah How Sweet it is to Love.† Bartleby.com.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bartelby.org/101/400.htmlShakespeare, William.   â€Å"Sonnet 116.†Ã‚   Poets.org.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19398— . â€Å"Sonnet 130.†Ã‚   Poets.org.   Retrieved 8 February 2007 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15557

Astronomy5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Astronomy5 - Essay Example It is proved that there is the existence of a planet that resembles Jupiter which has got large mass with asteroids that surround the planet. For the stability of the earth there are tectonics of plates which prove that life is not such easier for the survivor. There is a seed that supports the earth which is produced by the mars like small planet. This also ensures that there is life by providing a good temperature and pressure. The galaxy is also a support in that it has got heavy elements that are elliptical to the system. 3. Human beings and nature have one thing in common since the human beings destroy the environment in which most of the people believe so. Although most of the people do not understand the reason why the environment is destroyed. There are reasons why people destroy the environment where they have an understanding towards the nature of the environment giving out the right reasons. The main reason for the destruction is the using of the resources. The resources are used in different forms just like the trees being used for making papers. In the process the resources are made to be scarce becoming rare species. More of people’s voice tends to protect the environment and stop the people from destroying the natural resources. Human beings are not easy to be related to the environment and understanding the phenomena is not an easy thing. Human beings this days have interest on protecting the environment more so the natural

Community Health of Kansas City, Missouri - The Nurses Role within an Research Paper

Community Health of Kansas City, Missouri - The Nurses Role within an Inner City School District - Research Paper Example However, much of these efforts would go in vain if good health practices were not indulged in the curriculum of educational institutions. Our environment is no longer the same, even compared to that in the 20th century, and so are the human practices. Looking at the current world’s student population, millions of bright brains and inventive individuals are represented. Taking this into account, measures have been set up to ensure that all students are given nothing but the best by the society in which they live and learn. This study will only focus on the need for a school nurse in Public Schools to educate and promote African-American students on health issues that have become rampant in our lives, as will be explicitly discussed in this paper. The main reason of coming up with this study was driven by the fact that in the 21st century the education of a number of children, i.e. African-American students, is compromised by conditions and behavior patterns that undermine their physical and emotional well-being, hence, making learning within the framework of the current system of education quite difficult. Therefore, education policy-makers and teachers have embraced health promotional activities to reach their goal of inspiring students. As a result of this, schools have become both centers of learning and supportive venues for the provision of essential health education and services (UNESCO, 2001). Implementation Strategies To ensure implementation of healthy lifestyle and learning-friendly environment in the institutions, various departments concerned with the management of public schools can take note of the following: i. Initiating healthy public schools’ policy: this would involve making health a major factor to consider within the framework of all policies and legislation of schools because they all influence health in one way or another. ii. Creation of supportive environments: all members of the public schools have responsibility to do the ir best to create safe surrounding; coming up with safe, satisfying and healthy living and learning conditions; and giving support to health lifestyles. iii. Developing personal skills: supporting individual and learners’ development; and providing necessary information, education and improving life skills. iv. Strengthening students’ action: this would involve empowering the school fraternity, ensuring learners participation, and providing full and easy access to health related information. v. Re-orienting health services: this strategy would broaden the roles of health services from being authoritative and individual-based to shared responsibility and partnership for health, emphasizing on preventive rather than clinical and curative measures. 1. Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention of Diabetes Type 2 Good basic education outcome is only achievable through good health and nutrition as the essential input factors. All learners have to be healthy and well-nourished to be a ble to effectively participate in the learning process. In support of this initiative, the International agencies, i.e. WHO, UNESCO, World Bank and UNICEF, come up with approaches that would ensure healthy environment for students. FRESH (Focusing Resources on Effective School Health) was a bright example of the strategy already launched by

Johnson and Johnson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Johnson and Johnson - Essay Example However, the operation of Johnson and Johnson is guided by its famous credo which is translated in 36 languages around the globe.1 This credo has become the company's guiding light in fulfilling its role to its various stakeholders which include its customers, its employees, its community, and its stockholders. In its quest to satisfy its customers, Johnson and Johnson promises the delivery of high quality products and services and efficient operations to maintain reasonable prices. The company also promises to enable its suppliers and distributors make a good profit from their partnerships. Johnson and Johnson recognizes the huge role carried out by its employees to ensure its success. With this, its credo promises the elimination of discrimination, hazardous working condition and abuse. Instead, the company provides respect, job security, equitable compensation, and opportunities for growth. Johnson and Johnson also encourages its employee to voice their various concerns. The compa ny is also mindful of the externalities it bring to the society where it operates. With this, Johnson and Johnson strive to become a good corporate citizen by supporting charities, paying taxes, and pushing for sustainable development. Lastly, Johnson and Johnson gives credit to its stockholders by ensuring the profitability of its operations (Johnson and Johnson 3). The credo of Johnson and Johnson provides a glimpse of the company's goals and objectives namely profitability, innovation, social responsibility, growth, and leadership. As with any other business organization, Johnson and Johnson's primary goal is the maximization of profit. With this, the company can have the financial muscle to back its operations. At the heart of its goals is the innovation of products which can be released to the public in order to convey greater customer satisfaction. Johnson and Johnson's goal of maintaining sustainable development is fueled by its being a socially responsible business organization. The company also continues to push for growth and market leadership. In order to achieve these goals, Johnson and Johnson has crafted strategies. On the corporate level, the company is seen to utilize its credo to achieve its numerous goals. However, the interdependence within its departments and the diversity of its product line leads to multiple strategies within its divisions. Taken altogether, the company's primary strategy in fulfilling its goal is the creation of high quality medicine, medical equipment, and consumer goods at reasonable prices. In order to market its product efficiently, Johnson and Johnson creates an excellent brand image by actively taking part in socially responsible programs and activities. It can also be seen that one of its main strategies is the acquisition of small companies which have embarked on promising new products. The company's broad product lines and growth has been the result of numerous acquisitions. However, it can also be seen that the business organization is slowly coming to grips with the reality that thi s strategy is unsustainable in the long run and that it needs to develop new products. Johnson and Johnson is comprised of three main divisions-Pharmaceuticals, Devices and Diagnostics, and Consumer Goods (Johnson and Joh

See the details Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

See the details - Essay Example Musical Revolution: During his times, Elvis was very passionate about listening to different kind of music. As a result, he became an influencing icon who directly influenced the pop ballads and other varied array of music including, country music, gospel, and African American R&B which he grew listening to on the streets during his times (Cantor, 2005). This aspiration led him to create and develop his own kind of music. He brought a major change to the music industry and the society through his efforts and ambition. He mixed different musical influences into a network of diversity which was never experimented or created by anyone before Elvis. This led him to hold the position of the country’s first Rock and Roll idol that provided the new generation with a diversified musical creation of his own. Elvis career was faced with many highs and lows but he made a remarkable history in the world of music during two most prominent times- from 1955 to 1956 when he was credited for h is musical compositions throughout the nation and around the world. This not only gained him nationwide recognition but it also helped him to gain the international fame (Cantor, 2005). And the second period, dates back to 1970, when he finally settled himself as an icon for producing music in different genres and running successfully his tours and performances at both national and international levels (Brown and Broeske, 1997). Even today after 26 years of his death, Elvis Presley still holds an eminent position in the world of music and he can still be credited as an undisputed â€Å"diva† of Rock& Roll. Elvis never rocked the music industry with his Rock & Roll identity. He was failed to impress Sam Phillips during his recordings at Sun Records in the year 1954. He sang ballads after ballads but he failed to meet the expectations of Sam Phillips who thought of him a young talent who badly failed to compete with the stars like Johnny Ray, Eddie Fisher and many more. However , accidently during the breaks, Elvis fell on singing the unrehearsed version of â€Å"That’s All Right† by the one and only Arthur Crudups. The song is a beautiful composition which projects that how a white man sings the black-influenced tune. It highlights a unique combination of cultures and a very different kind of music that attracted Phillips. This tune as sung by Elvis held his attention. Coining His Influence on Youth and Shaping a New Pop Culture: His musical composition of the song created in 1945 to 1955 revolutionized the national musical industry. During his earliest performances, Elvis started mixing different genres with each other. For example, he added R&B to the country music and vice versa. This helped Elvis to discover a new array of musical compositions and he adapted a new style. He was also criticized for giving rise to a new genre â€Å"Rock& Roll† and eliminating the traditional yet so called pop music. By 1956, Elvis gained the fame as a national star and he was very much known for initiating the rock and roll movement (Cantor, 2005). He set himself as an example of bringing in the change for the youth of his times. Elvis was a new icon for a new generation. He provided the youth of 1950’s with new highly rich musical melodies which were very different from the traditional music or the music of their parents. He coined his own style and sound. He was often called as rebellious, lewd or a revolutionist in a negative

Role of ict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of ict - Essay Example Processing includes management of data (like computing, storage of data in databases, protection and retrieval of data) and its networking. Transfer includes transmission of data from one place/desktop to other using communication techniques. Both technologies are collectively called information and communication technology (ICT) (tutor2u, 2009). The purpose of introducing ICT in education is to enhance the learning and educational activities of students and support the teaching process by means of computers, internet and the latest technologies. According to Saverinus Kaka (2008, July 25), â€Å"education sector can be the most effective sector to anticipate and eliminate the negative impact of ICT. Technology (internet) in another side can be the most effective way to increase the student’s knowledge†. Students can be made familiar with computer aided simulations and educational games. The objectives of ICT in education are to incorporate latest technology based learning in schools, to endorse literacy about newer technologies in students, to support distance education, and to improve the teaching process by using latest techniques supported by ICT. â€Å"ICT has a distinctive contribution to make to the aims of the national curriculum as a whole† (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, 2009). In the national curriculum, ICT has played its role in planning work sequences and learning and teaching procedures. It has helped students to enjoy their educational activities because they can relate the technology based learning to their everyday lives. Students have been able to develop their own independent thinking regarding research, analysis of problems and decision-making. The national curriculum has put forth such programs of study that use ICT to enable the students to develop self-confidence and think about new ideas. The ICT based study programs in the national curriculum support safe usage of

Corporation Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Corporation Finance - Assignment Example These firms are targeted owing to ever growing demand for metals because of its high value that has constantly soar especially iron and aluminum, that up to present is being recycled whenever possible as a result of the value of their physical and chemical characteristics. The Business will be of great importance to its clients (processing companies) as it will save them energy and resources in collecting and treating the scrap metals. 1.3 MAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION PLAN Eco-Super Scrap Metals LTD management will consist of many employees and self-employed persons contracted by the company. However, the executive management team will consist of general manager, accountant, casual laborers and permanent and pensionable employees such trainers, supervisors and coordinators, who will be manning the sites and training other employees on health and safety of when working within the company. 1.4 OPERATIONAL AND PRODUCTION PLAN The premise and other basic utilities such as operational servic es like electricity will be acquired on rental basis rental bill being paid on monthly terms. However, the business machinery and fix assets such as, treatment plants and other essential paraphernalia like computers, printers, photocopier and furniture will be owned by the business as the initial capital fixed assets. 1.5 FINANCIAL PLAN The starting Capital will be $1,000,000 inclusive of operational capital of $ 700,000. The businesses will obtain this initial capital from owners’ personal savings, amounting to $. 200,000 and a funding through bank loan of $ 800,000. 2.0 BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Eco-Super Scrap Metals LTD main business will be collecting the scrap metals from the environment and treating these metals before trading them to metal processing company. In doing so, it will also be committed to clean environment, making it safety for habitation 2.1 Business Name The business will operate under the name Eco-Super Scrap Metals LTD. This business, given that it is not a new business idea in the region, will be subjected to competition from other firms of similar business. The business commences its operation soon after meeting the qualifications requirements imposed by the regulation bodies and registrar of business. 2.2 Physical Location Eco-Super Scrap Metals LTD will be concern with collecting the scrap metals from the building sites and also will have a centered point for collection in East London next to A13 motorway, to facilitate easy connection with the city. 2.2.1 Mission Statement The mission of the business is to collect and sell treated scrap metals to metal processing firms, before it goes to landfill, and in doing so, clean the environment for sustainability for habitation. 2.2.2 Vision To be the leading scrap metal industry in the entire Europe and outside the continent 2.2.3 Core Values i. Quality- The business main concern is on its customers and environment and so will strive to serve them diligently and upgrading the environment in its effort to be excellent through evaluation and continuous improvement. ii. Efficiency- Being efficient and effective in our mode of operation and give the best at all the time. iii. Passion- Concentrating on the work we do in both our minds and heart to give the best. iv. Accountability- Taking responsibility of our actions

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum Coursework

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum - Coursework Example In this regard, viewing disability in a binary sense would be unfair as persons who have suffered disabilities because of one reason or the other. Therefore, it should be seen as a continuum and hence set as a bio-psychosocial representation incorporating both social and medical forms of disability. A binary view of disability would further hinder an interactive and accommodative situation of the complexities of his or her impairment or disability and the environment. Viewing the disability as a continuum would afford the individual the chance to see all aspects of their body functioning. It would also open for them the opportunity to exploit their capacity and partake in various activities. On the other hand, a binary view of disability would not consider the interrelation between the resultant interaction of contextual factors and an individuals health condition where disability should be regarded as an injury. It should also be measured in the context of the limitations in the activities an individual can perform their capacity and their performance at society levels hence. Schelly, D. (2008). Problems associated with choice and quality of life for an individual with intellectual disability: a personal assistants reflexive ethnography. Disability & Society, 23(7), 719-732.

UK's Fastest Growing Companies Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

UK's Fastest Growing Companies - Dissertation Example Leadership is an important element of businesses in our modern era. Leadership in entrepreneurship involves the building of teams with complementary talents that can enable a business to attain its objectives (Timmons and Spinelli, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚   In essence, financial leadership is entrepreneurship in its own right. This is because entrepreneurship is about the combination of factors of production for the best results for the owners of a business   Ã‚  Ã‚   This suggests that a strong leadership is an indispensable tool for businesses. This is because the kind of leadership structure it has creates the framework for the pooling of resources for the attainment of a specific goal. In the era of privatization and the optimization of resources, leadership is central and essential in every business venture.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Timmons and Spinelli (2006) identify five main attributes of a leader in a business venture which include self-concept, intellectual honesty, pacemaking, courage, and communication. Self-concept is about a vision and a realistic approach to division of power for the attainment of results. Intellectual honesty suggests trustworthiness and high standards of integrity that a person in a leadership position has and encourages his/her followers to build and observe. Pacemaking refers to the ability to inspire and drive the attainment of set standards and visions.

Borderline Personality Disorder Essay Example for Free

Borderline Personality Disorder Essay In 1938, the term â€Å"borderline† was first used by A. Stern to describe individuals â€Å"on the border† of psychosis (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). Individuals afflicted by Borderline Personality Disorder, BPD, have unstable sense of relationship, mood, and identity. They exhibit low confidence on professional, sexual, and family relations and frequently experience depression, disappointments, and anxiety. In connection to these, BPD patients are inclined to substance abuse, antisocial acts, erratic lifestyles, suicidal attempts, and self-mutilation. Specifically, BPD patients of ages below than 18 years are commonly diagnosed with identity confusion. The BPD cases have a prevalence of about 0. 2-4 percent in the general public and approximately 15-25 percent among the hospitalized psychiatric cases with co-occurrence of eating disorder and substance abuse (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). Different hypotheses offer a possible etiology for BPD. Some of which ascribed it to the brains constitutional defects in different neurotransmitter systems like in the serotonergic, andrenergic, dopaminergic, and cholinergic systems while other hypotheses associated it to the history of learning disabilities, encephalitis, head trauma, severe hyperactivity, and epilepsy (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). On the other hand, in terms of developmental perspective, the excessive frustrations during childhood, physical-sexual abuse, constitutional predisposition, early parental loss, arrest in normal development, traumatic separation from parental figure and post-traumatic stress disorder are considered as contributing factors in the BPD development (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). Meanwhile, a long term psychotherapy involving reality-oriented or analytic techniques along with drug medications which include mood stabilizers, antipsychotic, and antidepressants is the therapeutic mainstay. Borderline Personality Disorder and Marital Relations Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental illness which causes unstable behavior, self-image, moods, and interpersonal relationships to the affected individuals. Eventually, these instabilities will result to disruption of self-identity, family life, long-term planning, and work performance (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). As well, a BPD patient may experience anxiety, violent bouts of anger, and depression for several hours or even a day leading to substance abuse, aggression, and self-injury. About two percent of adults, mostly women, affected by BPD suffer from instability of emotion regulation which often leads to self-injury and suicidal attempts (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). Consequently, the disruptions of self-identity and cognition of the affected individual cause distortion on his or her gender identity, long-term goals, jobs, values, jobs, and career plans and in the long run may result to unworthy or bad perception about his or her self. As such, the afflicted individuals, more often than not, feel low self-esteem, empty, mistreated, bored, and misunderstood. In severe cases, BPD patients tend to feel lack of social support and isolated which may lead to impulsive avoidance of perceived abandonment. In relation to these, individuals with BPD are susceptible to turbulent social relationships (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). They are prone to frequently agitated relationships and tend to abrupt shifting of attitude from love and admiration to anger and hate towards their family and friends. Hence, they easily idealize and develop attachment to other person; however, in the occurrence of conflict, their attitudes suddenly shift to anger and hate the person they are formerly attached to. In addition, even to their family circles, BPD patients are sensitive to rejection and separation issues. They tend to exhibit other behavioral problems such as risky sex, excessive eating, and extraneous spending (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). The American Psychiatric Association (2000) postulated that a BPD patient most probably may have a chaotic and unstable marital relation which is attributed to the distortions in his or her affects, thoughts, and behaviors. Since, children in this kind of marriage are negatively affected by the behavioral exchanges between the couple, BPD treatment in terms of its cost and mandated implementation became a significant issue. Moreover, the study of Daley, Burge, and Hammen (2000) suggested that the presence and the degree of a personality disorder largely predict the impairment of an intimate relationship. As such, the results of their study fundamentally supported the significance of BPD perspective as not merely just a categorical diagnosis but as a continuum of severity. Whereas every woman in their study was diagnosed with BPD potential, women with more subclinical BPD characteristics tended to practice maladaptive romantic lives (Daley, Burge, and Hammen, 2000). This observation generally implied that the utilization of categorical approach in BPD assessment through systematic diagnostic threshold in inadequate in the detection of variations in the relationship behavior among individuals. Nonetheless, at subclinical levels, the BPD symptoms were not directly linked with dysfunctional marital relationships (Daley, Burge, and Hammen, 2000). Even though every personality disorder has an association with romantic dysfunction, the BPD symptoms failed to generate significant contributions beyond the other Axis II pathology (Daley, Burge, and Hammen, 2000). This signified the crucial role of a factor which underlies every personality disorder under the Axis II pathology for the determination of relationship adjustment. Borderline Personality Disorder and Dysfunctional Marriage In 1938, the relationship between personality disorder and dysfunctional marriage was first noted by Terman, Wilson, Johnson, Buttenweiser, and Ferguson (South, Turkheimer, and Oltmanns, 2008). They hypothesized that the unique attributes of every individual impart them the possibility for relationship dissatisfaction. In 1995, the vulnerability-stress-adaptation model for marital relations was proposed by Karney and Bradburry (South, Turkheimer, and Oltmanns, 2008). This model illustrates the role of individual differences along with interpersonal processes in the achievement of marital satisfaction. The model postulated that personality traits and couples vulnerability directly determine the couples endurance and their behavioral exchanges with respect to the stressful circumstances in their marriage. In relation to these, the symptoms of personality disorder have been tied up with serious couples conflict and marriage violence. Specifically, the partner-violence studies through behavioral analogue and factor-analytic techniques found that borderline personality and antisocial traits of individuals are predictors of the occurrence of violence in married life. Nevertheless, through developmental research, the relationship of personality traits during childhood and adolescent years with temperament and abusive behaviors in an intimate relationship has been reported (South, Turkheimer, and Oltmanns, 2008). For someone married to a partner with BPD, the frequent turmoil in their relationship can either make their bond stronger or at worst, result to hatred and divorce. More often than not, dealing with the love-hate nature of marital relations is exasperating for every couple. In particular, an individual can hardly understand a partner who at one time offers love and adorations then all of a sudden will just lose temperament and fall into horrific rages. This scenario would make the spouse of the BPD patient dumbfounded for the hastily anger may seem came from nowhere at all. The relatives of a BPD patient may experience stress and feel helpless as they witness their loved one suffering from self-destructive BPD symptoms (Sholevar and Schwoeri, 2003). The immediate caregivers, the parents or the spouse are more susceptible to chronic stress due to the pitiful condition of the patient which at worst may even lead to psychological trauma especially for the patients children. For instance, as the patient engages into self-destructive behaviors like self-injury, burning, or suicidal attempts, the immediate caregivers are vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder because they directly observe the patients high-risks behaviors as they respond for help. In line with this, the spouse of the patient may experience guilt as he or she tries to figure out the cause or his or her liability in the BPD development of the patient. Meanwhile, close relatives may want to support the patient but are afraid to do so because of the harm they may possibly beget from the self-harm behaviors of the patient. As well, family members may become impatient due to the patients disruptive behaviors. Nonetheless, family members, friends, and relatives may have inadequate knowledge about BPD; thus, they can hardly understand and give empathy to the patient. In the long run, the relationship turmoil between the couple along with the stress and guilt of the patients spouse cause impatience, hatred and may even lead to divorce. Still, the atmosphere at home has a great impact on the personalities of the couples children. For example, the eldest among the siblings are often tasked to look after the needs of the patient while the youngsters are instructed to keep away from the patient to avoid emotional trauma or the possible physical harm they may beget. Moreover, the extended family like uncles, grandparents, and close friends can also be affected as they relay aegis to the patients family. Couples Therapy An individual with a spouse afflicted with BPD can adapt to the behavioral problems of his wife or her husband by understanding the nature of BPD. Along with drug medications, therapeutic counseling is widely used to save marital relations from the consequences of BPD behaviors. Both Lachkar and McCormack in 1998 and 2000 respectively, suggested the creation of â€Å"holding environment† for couples with one partner having BPD (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). In this approach, each partner, rather than withdrawing or projecting, is conditioned for the recognition of his or her subjective experiences. In particular, Lachkar proposed three fundamental functions: containment, empathy versus containment, and self-object (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). In containment, the counselor mirror and defuse the negative affects and projections in order to provide new means of images and experiences to the couple. On the other hand, the empathy or mirroring versus containment is necessary for the containment balance. The couple also needs to experience empathy and mirror-back their statements and behavior to them. Thus, the counselor must know how to employ either one or the other so as to facilitate the effective relationship functioning and the healing process of traumatic experiences. Lastly, the self-object functions are designed for the structural repair of the self. In 2003, Fruzzetti and Fruzzetti identified the five functions for a complete dialectical behavioral therapy (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Skill acquisition or enhancement is the first function in which specific skills are taught to individuals in every session. Next in line is the skill generalization wherein the learned skills are applied to real life setting through planning and telephone advising. The client motivation or behavior change is the third function which requires the collaborative effort of the client and the counselor in identifying and changing the dysfunctional patterns. Then, the crucial skills and high level of motivation are the required functions in the development of enhancement and motivation capabilities of the counselor. Finally, the environment structuring is a required function to ensure the desired outcomes. Gottmans Approach In 1999, Gottman proposed the different levels for a sound relational house which include: marital friendship foundation which consists of admiration and fondness, cognitive space for ones spouse, and turning toward versus turning away; override of positive sentiment versus the override of negative sentiments; conflict regulation which involves dialogue establishment and physiological soothing; and the creation of shared system of meaning such as meshing narratives, dreams, metaphors, and rituals (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Furthermore, Gottman argued that resistance can hardly be avoided in the therapy because it resulted from the disruptions in the various level components of a sound relational house of the relationships internal working model (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Hence, BPD patients suffer from the distortions of internal working models with respect to relationships and the self. Gottman further believed that the resistance due to the psychopathology of the individual is brought by his or her stable steady state, characterized by high negativity, and by the disruptions in the individuals means of influencing and influence acceptance (Oliver, Perry, and Cade, 2008). Dialectic Behavioral Therapy In 1980s, at the University of Washington, Marsha Linehan developed the Dialectic Behavioral Therapy or DBT after the failure of the standard behavioral therapies she has employed in treating women with chronic suicidal attempts (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). The DBT is an intensive and multimodal approach in the treatment of BPD. This form of therapy incorporated the cognitive-behavioral techniques with the time-tested Western contemplative and Eastern meditative medication approaches. These approaches with opposing notions, acceptance, and change were all integrated by means of a dialectical framework which can serve as a guide in the formulation and implementation of medication strategies. Since then, DBT has been utilized in the treatment of parasuicidal behavior among BPD cases and in other psychotic disorders. On the basis of biosocial maintenance and etiology of BPD, the DBT was developed in order to provide a plausible explanation for the BPD attributes with consistency on behavioral theory and empirical research findings (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). As posited by the biosocial theory, the BPD development is triggered by a dysfunction in the emotion regulation system during childhood brought by the interaction of the emotionally susceptible child to the invalidating environment. The immediate individuals in the childs environment, either unknowingly or intentionally, invalidate the childs emotional experiences which in turn result to the elevation of the childs emotional responses which aggravate the environmental invalidating responses. Further, the biosocial theory argued that the child and the environment have biodirectional relationship; thus, both influence the continuous elevation and deescalation of the borderline behaviors. The DBT treats BPD behaviors as spontaneous products of dysregulated and maladaptive attempts of emotions regulations (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). This model illustrated the characteristics of both individual and environment wherein the latter inhibits the development of the capabilities and potentials of the former. As such, BPD patients have low distress tolerance, interpersonal, and self-regulation skills. Hence, for any treatment approach, the development and enhancement of skills, capabilities, and motivation of every patient must be given prime importance. On the other hand, the therapeutic relationship between the BPD patient and the therapist poses a dialectic tension in which they can find themselves at the opposite sites of a particular issue. The therapeutic process then attempts to synthesize these opposing views resulting to a new dialectical tension. For instance, the therapist may perceive that the suicidal tendency of the patient is the root cause of the problem while the patient may take this behavior as the solution. The possible synthesis of these positions may result to the notion that committing suicide is a maladaptive solution to the problem at hand. Then, this new position may necessitate the learning of new skills so as to smoothly adapt the patient into the present state of life. DBT Treatment Stages Since DBT is a multimodal approach, the treatment is categorized into several stages, each of which has its own goals (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). In Stage I, the behavior is out of control as the individual possesses debilitating and pervasive problems. The first stage aims to facilitate the achievement of action control and stability as well as the natural life expectancy by preventing suicidal behavior, the development of the capability of helping individuals in reducing severe impediments, and the achievement of necessary skills for such tasks. In the following stage, the individuals have attained reasonable action control. The Stage II then intends to gain understanding and at the same time to reduce the impact of early traumatic experiences, and to strengthen the individual’s endurance in emotional experiences in the absence of psychological trauma. In the third stage, the focus of treatment is on the resolution of residual problem behavior which hinders the attainment of personal goals. The BPD patient, with self-trust and respect, takes a pivotal role. Finally, Stage IV aims for the sustenance of personal freedom and goals. This last treatment stage facilitates the patient’s achievement of spiritual fulfillment, vast awareness, and connection to the universe. Empirical Findings The randomized controlled DBT trials proved its efficacy on BPD behaviors such as suicidal tendency, substance abuse, depression, binge eating, anxiety, and other personality disorders across various populations (Koerner and Linehan, 2000). In addition, a substantial number of nonrandomized controlled DBT trials have shown efficacy similar to the randomized controlled. Thus, in general, the results of DBT studies indicated its superiority against non-DBT controlled trials in the prevention and reduction of problem behaviors like substance abuse and suicidal behavior as well as treatment dropout and hospitalization, and the improvement of the general and social functioning of the BPD patients. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Arlington, VA: APA. Daley, S. E. , Burge, D. , and Hammen, C. (2000). Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms as Predictors of 4-Year Romantic Relationship Dysfunction in Young Women Addressing Issues of Specificity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109 (3), 451-460. Koerner, K. and Linehan, M. M. (2000). Research on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23 (1), 151–167.

Analysis of Dennis Law of Evidence

Analysis of Dennis Law of Evidence The argument by Professor Ian Dennis that a decision may be factually correct and yet lack the moral justification usually served by a verdict is based on the existence of convictions reached despite apparent procedural irregularities in obtaining the evidence. Three major areas where this occurs are in the areas of confessions, illegally or improperly obtained evidence and silence of the accused as evidence. This represents a battle to maintain the crux of criminal law found in the presumption of innocence and the maxim, â€Å"It is better to let a hundred guilty men go free than hang one innocent man†. On the other hand, it may be thought that to exclude such improper evidence would, in some cases, result in injustice such as the acquittal of the guilty.[1] As a result, English law contains some compromises in some of these areas. This is in order to satisfy the two extreme views. Three cases are analyzed below in order to determine the truth or not of Professor Dennis’ argument. Generally, confessions are admissible in evidence provided they are made voluntarily. However, judges may exercise discretion to exclude confessions obtained by improper or unfair means or in breach of the Judges’ Rules or on grounds that its prejudicial effect outweighed its probative value.[2] These principles are also found in Section 76 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE Act). Professor Dennis’ argument lacks support in the case of properly admitted confessions. In most cases, in order to maintain fairness and morality towards the accused, judges exclude confessions once it is shown that the rules were breached.[3] His argument is upheld only where a confession is admitted and applied to ground a conviction despite being obtained in unfair circumstances. It would then appear that the usual practice does not support the argument above but the exceptional case illustrates the point of Professor Dennis’ statement.[4] In R v. Fulling,[5] the appellant was convicted of obtaining property by deception. Her conviction was grounded on a confession which she claimed to have made under oppressive circumstances. While in custody the appellant was interviewed twice on the first day and once on the following day when she made a confession which she later claimed was the result of being told by an officer that her lover had been having an affair with the woman in the next cell for the last three years. She said that these revelations so distressed her that she could not stand being in the cells any longer and made a statement in the hope that she would be released. The appeal was dismissed on the ground that the confession was admissible since it was not oppressive (characterized by impropriety) under S. 76(2)(a) of the PACE Act or rendered unreliable under S. 76(2)(b). The degree of oppression and impropriety sufficient to exclude the confession was determined by the court to be absent. The decision in this case was factually correct because earlier evidence given by a witness was corroborated by Fuller’s confession. However, if the moral justification for founding conviction were that the degree of impropriety was lower than required, then the verdict would be regarded as morally weak.[6] ILLEGALLY OR IMPROPERLY OBTAINED EVIDENCE – R V. SANG (1980) AC 402 The general position of the law is that evidence, which is relevant and otherwise admissible, should not be excluded only because of the manner in which it was obtained.[7] The judge may exclude such evidence only as a matter of discretion. Therefore, the use of such evidence to found a conviction, although factually correct, can be seen as lacking in moral authority where improper means are alleged. This common law position has been influenced by Section 78 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 which grants the court discretion to refuse to allow evidence which would have an adverse effect on the fairness of the proceedings because of the circumstances in which it was obtained. In R v. Sang[8] the appellant sought the exclusion of the evidence upon which the accused was later convicted because the accused had been induced to commit the offence by an agent provocateur. It was held on appeal that the court is not concerned with how the evidence was obtained provided it was relevant and admissible. The reasoning was based on Kuruma Son of Kaniu v. R [9] that remedies may be sought in civil law for illegality but the judge at trial is only concerned with how such unfairly obtained evidence is used by the prosecution and not how it was obtained. This case strongly illustrates how moral legitimacy of a guilty verdict can be compromised where the court overlooks its power of discretion and the unfair circumstances in which the accused is found, choosing instead to apply the facts heedlessly. The accused’ right to silence formerly entitled the accused not to have inferences drawn from his silence as evidence of his guilt.[10] This right has been curtailed by Section 35 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which provides in subsections (2) and (3) that inferences may be drawn from the failure of the accused to give evidence or his refusal, without good cause, to answer any question. This position was upheld in the case of R v. Cowan ors.[11] although Cowan’s appeal was allowed only on the ground that such inference should not be the sole ground for conviction.[12] Thus in this case the court rejected the argument that adverse inference under S. 35 should be restricted to exceptional cases where there is no innocent explanation for the silence. Consequently, the right to silence when exercised by the accused leaves him in danger of being convicted based on the inference drawn by the jury about his silence and other available circumstantial eviden ce. Innocent reasons or good reasons for silence outside those stipulated by the law are insufficient to protect an accused person.[13] The accused must fit the exceptions in order to be excluded where the court has satisfied itself that other requirements[14] have been met. The use of this kind of evidence strongly supports Professor Dennis’ argument because the decision may be factually correct when other circumstantial evidence is added but the moral justification for finding a person guilty because of his silence is weak. In conclusion, as Professor Dennis notes, apparently reliable evidence may need to be excluded altogether if it risks impairing the moral and expressive authority of the verdict.[15] Trials may be fact-finding missions to ascertain the truth but public interest demands total legitimacy both in accuracy of facts and moral authority (based on respect in the procedure and treatment of the defendant). These rights are also recognized in the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 based on the maxim of fairness, â€Å"Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done†. Heydon J. D. and Ockelton M., 1996. Evidence: Cases and Materials, 4th ed., Butterworths London Huxley P. and O’Connell M., 2004. Blackstone’s Statutes on Evidence, 8th ed., Oxford University Press London Keane A., 2006. The Modern Law of Evidence, 6th ed., Oxford University Press London The Common Law Library, 2005. Phipson on Evidence, Sweet Maxwell London LexisNexis Butterworth, All England Reports http://lexisnexis.com/uk/ Dennis I. H., 2002. The Law of Evidence, 2nd ed., Sweet Maxwell London 1 Footnotes [1] Keane A., 2006. The Modern Law of Evidence, Oxford. p.55 [2] ibid. p.380; R v. Sang (1980) AC 402; R v. May (1952) 36 Cr. App. R. 91, 93 per Lord Goddard CJ [3] This could be upholding the moral element, in other words. [4] A strong illustration is the case of R v. Mushtaq (2005) 3 All ER 885 where the trial judge was held to have breached the defendant’s privilege when he misdirected the jury by stating that a confession had probative weight so long as they thought it was true even if it was obtained by oppression. The appeal was dismissed though because the defence never proved the oppression. [5] supra [6] This can also be seen in R v. Goldenberg (1988) 88 Cr App Rep 285, CA where the admission of a confession made in the hope of getting bail was found correct despite the accused person’s state of mind at the time. See also Heydon and Ockelton, 1996. Evidence: Cases and Materials. p.159 [7] Common Law rule in Leatham (1861) 8 Cox C. C. 498, 501 [8] supra [9] (1955) AC 197, PC [10] S. 1 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898; R v. Bathurst (1968) 2 QB 99, CA and R v. Taylor (1993) Crim. LR 223, CA [11] supra [12] This rule is in accordance with S. 38 (3) of the 1994 Act [13] R v. Cowan (supra); R v. Napper (1996) Crim. L. R. 591; R v. Becouarn (2003) EWCA Crim. 1154 [14] Such as a prima facie case by the prosecution (or that the accused has a case to answer) , directions to the jury about drawing adverse inference etc. [15] 2002, The Law of Evidence. p.45

Relationship between Alcohol and Depression

Relationship between Alcohol and Depression The Complex Association between Alcohol Consumption and Depression Constantin Vintilescu Abstract Symptoms of depression are typically among those who abuse alcohol. Previous research has shown a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and depression exists; however, the exact nature of the association is complex. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the amount of alcohol consumption and severity of depression as described by the Alameda County Health and Ways of Living Study (ACHWLS) dataset. The raw data was aggregated, transformed, and used to calculate new variables. Correlation and curve estimation analysis was performed on the calculated variables. An overall positive correlation was confirmed, and previous research was upheld by demonstrating that abstainers and heavy drinkers have greater symptoms of depression than lite to moderate drinkers. However, a complex S-shaped pattern, with low symptoms of depression among very heavy drinkers, was determined to be the best fitting regression model. This finding has previously been undescribed , and may be due to the limitations of self-reporting by very heavy consumers of alcohol and the severely depressed. Further study is suggested, with screening performed by trained professionals, to confirm this finding. The Complex Association between Alcohol Consumption and Depression Alcohol consumption and depression are frequently co-occurring conditions. A cyclical pattern of escalating comorbidity has been described in people with both disorders, but previous studies have shown that the association is not a simple linear correlation. The aim of this paper is to conduct a secondary data analysis of the 1994 ACHWLS dataset to describe the relationship between alcohol abuse and depression. Research Questions Is there a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms? Does a linear, quadratic, or cubic regression model explain the most variability between alcohol consumption and severity of depressive symptoms? Background Alcohol abuse is common and is often associated with depression. In a 2012 survey, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of Americans over the age of twelve: 17.0 million reported heavy drinking, and 14.9 million were diagnosed with alcohol dependence (SAMHSA, 2013). According to the SAMHSA (2014), an estimated 43.7 million American adults experienced some form of mental illness; and an estimated 9.6 million adults had a serious mental illness, including major depression. Of these, 8.4 million people had co-occurring mental illness and a substance use disorder (SAMHSA, 2014). Of people with alcohol problems, 80% show symptoms of depression (Mclntosh Ritson, 2001), and 25% of those with depression also have an alcohol problem (Chick, 2002). An escalating cycle of comorbidity exists between alcohol abuse and depression: people with a mental health disorder have a higher likelihood of alcohol abuse when compared to people without mental illness (SAMHSA, 2014); people with concurrent major depression and a substance abuse disorder have more severe symptoms of depression than those without a substance abuse disorder (Ostacher, 2007); and greater severity of depression is associated with more drinking (Palfai et al., 2007). Thus, depression may augment alcohol use, which in turn, may increase symptoms of depression – creating an accumulative cycle of abuse and depression. Numerous studies confirm the positive association between alcohol consumption and depression (Alati et al., 2005; Dixit Crum, 2000; France et al., 2004; Hartka et al., 1991; Rodgers et al., 2000). However, the nature of the relationship is complex, as both the abstinence from and heavy consumption of alcohol are both associated with an increased risk of depression (Alati, et al., 2005; Blow, Serras, Barry, 2007; Rodgers et al., 2000). It is clear that the relationship is non-linear (Rodgers et al., 2000b), but there is uncertainty over its exact nature. Whether the association curve is J-shaped or U-shaped depends on the method of measurement (Graham, Massak, Demers, Rehm, 2007). Data Source The 1994 ACHWLS is part of a longitudinal funded by the National Institutes of Health, which began surveying a random sample of households in Alameda County, California in 1965. Alameda County was chosen because the diversity of residents closely resembled the population of the United States, and thus allowed for greater generalizability to the American public. The 1994 ACHWLS attempted to follow-up on all the respondents interviewed in 1965 and 1974 with a self-administered questionnaire regarding living patterns, health, and socio-demographics. No one question, on the ACHWLS, completely reflected the intensity of alcohol consumption, or the severity of depressive symptoms, exhibited by the respondent, so a strategy to represent a cumulative score for these variables was developed. Key questions regarding alcohol use and symptoms of depression were identified and aggregated in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively. Several responses to questions were reversed so that a higher numerical score reflected an increased severity of symptoms. Responses were subsequently transformed to a zero-based scale. Table 3 and Table 4 show the recoded values. Table 3 and Table 4 were each summated to calculate the new variables DRINKING and DEPRESSION respectively. Of the 2,729 respondents in the ACHWLS, only cases with complete responses to all items on both Table 2 and Table 3 were considered (N = 1,248). Included participants ranged in age from 46 to 95 years old (M = 63.1, SD = 9.79). The median income was $ 40,000-$44,999; the majority were male (56%); most had finished high school (90%), and had at least some higher education (66%). Race/ ethnic demographics are summarized in Table 1. Methods The distribution of DRINKING is slightly skewed to the right (skewness = 1.70). The histogram, mean score, and SD are shown in Figure 1. Possible values range from zero to 24. Similarly, DEPRESSION is also slightly skewed to the right (skewness = 1.48). The distribution is shown in Figure 2. Possible values range from zero to 18. The mean DEPRESSION score corresponding to each DRINKING value is shown in Figure 3. Being the sum of several ordinal values, it is important to clarify that DRINKING and DEPRESSION both represent continuous scales of intensity. Although their possible ranges are limited on this instrument, their values could theoretically be measured on an infinite positive scale of rational units. As such, parametric testing is appropriate; even though the data is not a perfectly normal distribution, parametric procedures are still valid because of the very large sample size (Ghasemi Zahedias, 2012). Pearson’s correlation was performed to test the overall relationship between quantity of alcohol consumption and of severity depression. Since convincing evidence has previously demonstrated a positive association exists between the variables in question, directional analysis was used to determine the p-value. This method increases the experiment’s statistical ability to discover an effect without changing the level of significance. To describe the nature of the association, non-linear regression was performed in SPSS. The curve was estimated using several models, including linear, quadratic, and cubic to determine the best fit. Results A directional Pearson Correlation was performed between DRINKING and DEPRESSION. The effect size was determined to be small, but significant, r (1249) = .091, p = .001. Curve fit analysis shows that linear (F 1, 1246 = 6.134, p = .013, R2 = .005), quadratic (F 2, 1245 = 7.789, p 2 = .011), and cubic (F 3, 1244 = 7.545, p 2 = .018) regression models were all significant. Figure 4 shows a comparison of all three models and the actual data. The cubic regression model was able to explain the highest degree of variability, accounting for .016 (adj. R2) of the variance in DEPRESSION. Figure 5 shows the cubic model along with the formula governing the curve. Discussion Although the Pearson’s correlation was a significant positive value, the effect size was small. This is an expected outcome because the nature of the association is non-linear. Negative correlations among abstainers and very lite drinkers served to negate much of the positive correlations among moderate and heavy drinkers. Segmented correlations or stepwise regression may be of value to determine the exact effect on depression for each of the following groups: abstainers, very lite drinkers, lite drinkers, moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers, and very heavy drinkers. Cubic regression was the best fitting curve, but only a small degree of variability was explained by this model. This may be due to possible limitations of the DEPRESSION variable. A more sensitive instrument to gauge depression severity may yield a higher R2. Also, due to the nature of very heavy drinking and severe symptoms of depression, persons with these afflictions may be under-represented in the ACHWLS survey. This possibility may be responsible for the low R-value. Screening performed by trained professionals may increase the correlation and variability explained by this model. Interestingly, the curve showed a complex S-shape, with very high alcohol consumption being associated with lower symptoms of depression. This observation may also be related to the sensitivity of the DEPRESSION variable, or it may be related to a reporting problem among very heavy drinkers. Although a maximum score of 24 is allowed by the screening instrument for DRINKING, the maximum score reported was only 18. This may suggest that very heavy drinkers were not accurately represented in the study data source. Very heavy drinkers and very depressed persons may not have responded to the survey or not have responded to all the items in Table 1 and Table 2 due to the nature of their alcohol problem or depression. A more focused study with screening performed by trained professionals may yield more accurate results than a generalized survey relying on self-reporting. Conclusion Correlations are weak; however, the over-all effect of alcohol consumption on depression is positive. The exact nature of the association is complex, with both heavy drinkers and abstainers showing greater symptoms of depression. The best fitting curve, for this dataset, is cubic with an S-shaped pattern. However, limitations among responders with very heavy drinking and severe symptoms of depression may be influencing the curvature. A focused study with screening performed by trained professionals is recommended. References Alati, R., Lawlor, D. A., Najman, J. M., Williams, G. M., Bor, W., OCallaghan, M. (2005). Is there really a J-shaped curve in the association between alcohol consumption and symptoms of depression and anxiety? Findings from the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy and its outcomes. Addiction, 100(5), 643-651. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01063.x Blow, F. C., Serras, A. M., Barry, K. L. (2007). Late-life depression and alcoholism. Current Psychiatry Reports, 9(1), 14-19. Chick, J. (2002). Clinical depression in heavy drinkers of alcohol. Hospital Pharmacist, 9(1), 229-233. Dixit, A. R., Crum, R. M. (2000). Prospective study of depression and the risk of heavy alcohol use in women. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(5), 751-758. France, C., Lee, C. Powers, J. (2004), Correlates of depressive symptoms in a representative sample of young Australian women. Australian Psychologist, 39:228–237. doi:10.1080/00050060412331295054 Ghasemi, A. Zahedias, S. (2012). Normality tests for statistical analysis: A guide for non-statisticians. International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 10(2), 486-489. DOI:10.5812/ijem.3505 Graham, K., Massak, A., Demers, A., Rehm, J. (2007). Does the association between alcohol consumption and depression depend on how they are measured? Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(1), 78-88. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00274.x Hartka, E., Johnstone, B., Leino, E. V., Motoyoshi, M., Temple, M. T., Fillmore, K. M. (1991). A meta-analysis of depressive symptomatology and alcohol consumption over time. British Journal of Addiction, 86(10), 1283-1298. Mclntosh, C., Ritson, B. (2001). Treating depression complicated by substance misuse. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 7(1): 357-6. Ostacher, M. J. (2007). Comorbid alcohol and substance abuse dependence in depression: impact on the outcome of antidepressant treatment. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America., 30(1), 69-76. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2006.12.009 Palfai, T. P., Cheng, D. M., Samet, J. H., Kraemer, K. L., Roberts, M. S., Saitz, R. (2007). Depressive symptoms and subsequent alcohol use and problems: a prospective study of medical inpatients with unhealthy alcohol use. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68(5), 673-680. Rodgers, B., Korten, A. E., Jorm, A. F., Christensen, H., Henderson, S., Jacomb, P. A. (2000). Risk factors for depression and anxiety in abstainers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. Addiction, 95(12), 1833-1845. doi: 10.1080/09652140020011135 Rodgers, B., Korten, A. E., Jorm, A. F., Jacomb, P. A., Christensen, H., Henderson, A. S. (2000b). Non-linear relationships in associations of depression and anxiety with alcohol use. Psychological Medicine, 30(2), 421-432. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2013, September). Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-46, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4795. Rockville, MD: Author. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014, October 9). Mental and Substance Use Disorders. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://www.samhsa.gov/disorders Tables Table 1 ACHWLS Questions Related to Drinking Note: Responses appear exactly as they are reported in the 1994 ACHWLS. Table 2 ACHWLS Questions Related to Depression Note: Responses appear exactly as they are reported in the 1994 ACHWLS. Table 3 ACHWLS Questions Related to Drinking Recoded Note: Responses to items with IDs ending in â€Å"R† are recoded to reflect a higher severity with higher numerical value. All other responses appear exactly as they are reported in the 1994 ACHWLS. Table 4 ACHWLS Questions Related to Depression Recoded Note: Responses to items with IDs ending in â€Å"R† are recoded to reflect a higher severity with higher numerical value. All other responses appear exactly as they are reported in the 1994 ACHWLS. Table 5 Race / Ethnicity Demographics Note: Self-reported ethnicity / racial demographic data summarized from respondents of the 1994 ACHWLS who submitted complete responses to all question items listed on both Table 1 and Table 2. Figures Figure 1. Distribution of data for DRINKING variable. DRINKING is summation of responses listed in Table 3. Possible values range from 0 to 24. Figure 2. Distribution of data for DEPRESSION variable. DEPRESSION is summation of responses listed in Table 4. Possible values range from 0 to 18. Figure 3. Mean of all DEPRESSION scores corresponding to each DRINKING value. Figure 4. Best fit curve estimation for variables DRINKING and DEPRESSION. Mean data collected from the ACHWLS is shown in red. Figure 5. Cubic regression curve is given by the formula above. Mean data collected from the ACHWLS is shown in red.

Al-Ghazâlî, Causality, and Knowledge Essay -- Arabic Philosophy Philos

Al-Ghazà ¢là ®, Causality, and Knowledge ABSTRACT: Few passages in Arabic philosophy have attracted as much attention as al-Ghazà ¢là ®'s discussion of causality in the seventeenth discussion of Tahà ¢fut al-Falsafa, along with the response of Ibn Rushd (Averroà «s) in his Tahà ¢fut al-Tahà ¢fut. A question often asked is to what extent al-Ghazà ¢là ® can be called an occasionalist; that is, whether he follows other Kalà ¢m thinkers in restricting causal agency to God alone. What has not been thoroughly addressed in previous studies is a question which al-Ghazà ¢là ® and Ibn Rushd both see as decisive in the seventeenth discussion: what theory of causality is sufficient to explain human knowledge? In this paper I show that al-Ghazà ¢là ®'s and Ibn Rushd's theories of causality are closely related to their epistemologies. The difference between the two thinkers can be briefly summerized as follows. For Ibn Rushd, the paradigm of human knowledge is demonstrative science; for al-Ghazà ¢là ®, in contrast, the par adigm of human knowledge is (or at least includes) revelation. Yet both remain committed to the possibility of Aristotelian science and its underlying principles. Thus, I suggest that al-Ghazà ¢là ®'s stance in the seventeenth discussion sheds light on his critique of philosophy in the Tahà ¢fut: namely, philosophy is not inherently incoherent, but simply limited in scope. I also briefly compare this position to that of Thomas Aquinas, in order to place the view in a more familiar context. Few passages in Arabic philosophy have attracted as much attention as al-Ghazà ¢là ®'s discussion of causality in the seventeenth discussion of Tahà ¢fut al-Falà ¢sifa, along with the response of Ibn Rushd (Averroà «s) in his Tahà ¢fut al-Tahà ¢fut. A question which has been addressed ... ...onalist reading of al-Ghazà ¢là ®, translates the same as 'sheer vilification,' referring to the philosophers. Marmura's is clearly the better translation (tashnà ®' being the verbal noun of 'to vilify'), indicating that al-Ghazà ¢là ® is in fact referring back to the criticism made by the philosophers. The passage is at Tahà ¢fut, p. 296. See also Riker, p. 319. (12) Tahà ¢fut, p. 300, p. 258. English translation p. 330, p. 278. (13) Tahà ¢fut, p. 296. English translation, p. 325. (14) Tahà ¢fut, pp. 295-6. English translation, p. 324. (15) Tahà ¢fut, p. 294. English translation, p. 322. (16) Qurà ¢n 35.43, cited at Tahà ¢fut, p. 292. English translation, p. 320. See also Tahà ¢fut, p. 302, English translation, p. 333. (17) Tahà ¢fut, p. 296. English translation, p. 325. (18) Tahà ¢fut, p. 298. English translation, p. 327. (19) Tahà ¢fut, p. 84. English translation, p. 70.

The Importance of Communication in Marriage Essay -- essays research p

Throughout the last half of the century, our society has watched the divorce rate of married couples skyrocket to numbers previously not seen. Although their has been a slight decline in divorce rates, â€Å"half of first marriages still were expected to dissolve before death.† (Stacy, 15, 1991) Whatever happened to that meaningful exchange of words, â€Å"until death do us part,† uttered by the bride and groom to each other on their wedding day? What could have been the cause of such inflated divorce rates? Perhaps young married couples are not mature enough to be engaged in such a trremendous responsibility, or, maybe, the couples really do not know each other as well as they thought. Possibly, they have been blinded by infatuation rather than by true love, or, quite simply, the couples mistakenly have different relational expectations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ultimately, all the possibilities point to one thing, which is a lack of communication. Somewhere along the line, there must have been a breakdown in the interpersonal communication process. Seemingly, the marital dyad has not used the correct communication patterns needed to sustain their relationship. In some way, each of them has notevaluated their partner carefully enough to ensure that this chosen individual is, in fact, truly their life long partner. By no means, is this the sole reason for divorce, but it certainly plays an enormous role. In fact, no one could ever pinpoint the exaact cause of divorce since each situation is unighu and is usually quite complicated. However, it would be unreasonable not to believe that interpersonal communication does not play an integral part in marital satisfaction. Since interpersonal communication affects almost all facets of a relationship, it has a huge impact on each and every part of both individuals’ lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marital satisfaction, something that everyone would like to find an equation for, is the goal that all married couplesnaturally wish to achieve. Since marital satisfaction obviously has a direct relationship to marital stability, the more satisfaction that is achieved within a marriage, the more stable and more positive the relationship. This stability is accomplished through hard work and communication between the partners, and a mutual understanding of what part each must play in the relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Communication has often been cited as the ‘primary predictor’ to... ...tionship. As with any relationship, marriage is no different. Each member of a marital dyad must have clearly defined, and understood communication between them. Satisfaction and stability in a marriage is achieved through communication and interaction between its members. A breakdown of interpersonal communication is positively related to dissatisfaction in a marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How can this problem of dissatisfaction be taken care of before it begins to be a broplem within the dyad? Is it even a possibility to alleviate the rising divorce rate? Too many people are getting divorced today, and the institution of marriage is losing its meaning. It is no longer thought of as a bond, or a tie that keeps people together â€Å"till death do us part†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that by continuing research on marital stability and satisfaction many more questions will be answeres. Many more ways in which satisfaction is obtained will be uncovered as well. I know that there will never be an equation for marital satisfaction, but hopefully people will realize that communication is the key factor to having positive relationships. And by using good communication, satisfaction in those relationships will follow.