The Specifics of Society Genetic Constitution

Thesis statement When it comes to discussing what prompts people to behave in one way or another, it is crucially important to understand that, in order for them to be able to effectively interact with the surrounding environment; they must act as socially integrated beings. This is the reason why, as sociologists and psychologists are well aware of, it is in the very nature of the representatives of Homo Sapiens species to seek the affiliation with mind-likes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Specifics of Society Genetic Constitution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By being the part of a group, consisted of people who share the same set of existential values, a particular individual is able to increase its chances to advance in life. Nevertheless, it is namely the specifics of people’s genetic constitution, which define the qualitative subtleties of their longing to become the part of a collective. In my paper, I will explore the validity of this statement at length, in regards to the documentaries People like us: Social class in America (Cnam2000, 2009) and The Devil’s playground (Lasrever, 2008). Analytical part The foremost idea that is being promoted throughout the video People like us: social class in America is that, despite its adherence to the principle of a social egalitarianism, American society continues to remain strongly stratified along the lines of class. American citizens that belong to the upper class are the ones able to enjoy their lives to the fullest, while being in charge of designing this country’s domestic and foreign policies. On the other hand, those citizens that happened to be affiliated with lower social classes, do not merely experience a hard time, while trying to attain a societal prominence, but very often suffer from malnutrition. Nevertheless, even though that the film’s creators deliberately withdrew from advocating their personal point of view, as to what causes Americans to remain socially stratified, People like us: Social class in America does contain a number of insights, as what should be considered the dialectical preconditions for people to strive to emphasize their affiliation with a particular social class. These insights can be outlined as follows: a) There is a very little rationale in referring to the phenomenon of class-stratification within the American society, as solely the consequence of the national wealth being unequally distributed among the country’s citizens. For example, there is a memorable scene in the documentary, where a sloppy dressed man with a beer-can in his hands, expounds on how proud he is to belong to the ‘redneck nation’. After having been asked whether he would consider changing his lifestyle of a ‘redneck’, if he was able to afford it, the interviewed person provided a negative response.Advertising Looking for essay on socia l sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More b) One’s financial riches do not automatically allow the concerned individual to become the part of a ‘high society’. As it appears from the video, the representatives of social elites apply a great effort into guarding their societal privileges, to which they are being entitled by the very fact of their belonging to the country’s ‘top class’. This is being reflected by these people’s tendencies to regard the so-called ‘self-made’ individuals with a suspicion. As one of the interviewed persons noted; whereas, one’s wealthiness may be purely accidental; there is nothing accidental about the concerned individual’s ability to maintain it. In other words, in order for a particular rich individual to be admitted to the ‘club’, he or she would have to prove the sincereness of its commitment to the existential values, shared by the ‘club’s’ other members. c) It is in people’s very nature to strive to accentuate their superiority. As it was implied in the video, people’s foremost priority in life can be well considered their genetically predetermined tendency to seek the confirmation of their existential worth. This is the reason why the people’s sense of greed knows no limits – the richer a particular individual happened to be, the higher is his or her likelihood to think of itself, as such that experiences the acute ‘shortage’ of money. This, of course, deems the egalitarianism-promoting political ideologies conceptually fallacious – being nothing but hairless primates, in the biological sense of this word, people are naturally driven towards securing their ‘environmental niche’ in life, at the expense of depriving their competitors of the same opportunity. This is the reason why parents strive to convince their children to pursue ‘prestigious’ professional careers (such as the career of a lawyer, for example) – these careers provide their affiliates with the opportunity to generate disproportionally large amounts of money, while applying a disproportionally small effort. Ideally, just about everyone dreams of not having to work at all, without experiencing any shortage of financial means. This once again confirms the validity of the evolutionary theory, according to which people evolved from apes. After all, in the societies of primates, alpha-males have only one social ‘duty’ – to enjoy themselves in just about any way they choose to, in times free from imposing their dominance upon females and weaker males. Just as it happened to be the case with the earlier mentioned documentary, the main theme of The Devil’s playground, concerned with exposing the lifestyle of Amish Christians, can be well discussed within the context of how it promo tes the idea that people are naturally inclined to seek the sensation of ‘belongingness’.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Specifics of Society Genetic Constitution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, this film can be referred to as being ‘sociologically insightful’, as well, because after having watched it, viewers would be likely to come to the following set of conclusions, in regards to both: the very nature of a religious belief, as ‘thing in itself’, and this belief’s societal implications: a) The more a particular individual happened to be religious, the more there are absurdist overtones to his or her existential stance. As it was shown in the documentary, Amish believers make a deliberate point in not taking a practical advantage of modern technologies. For example, they do not watch television. Instead of using cars, as the mean of transportation, they use horse-drawn carriages. The Amish justify such their lifestyle by referring to the Bible, in which Jesus prescribed true Christians to practice a ‘simple living’. This points out to the fact that it is in the very nature of just about any monotheistic religion to strive to slow down the pace of a socio-cultural and technological progress. The reason for this is apparent – while being incapable of helping people to address the challenges of a contemporary living, religion has no other option but to try undermining the discursive soundness of what does provide people with the immediately felt life-enhancing benefits – science. Given the fact that the U.S. is considered one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world (which explains the high standards of living in this country), Amish believers could not think of anything better than secluding themselves within the communities of mind-likes, and proceeding to live as if they were †˜petrified’ in time. b) Contrary to what it is being commonly assumed, one’s strongly religious upbringing creates objective preconditions for the concerned individual to end up choosing in favor of a strongly anti-social behavioral mode. According to the Amish tradition, after having reached the age of 16, the community’s teenagers (born and raised among the Amish) are allowed to travel to the ‘English’ world and to try what it is like living without having ‘God’ standing behind their backs 24/7. Predictably enough, the majority of these teenagers end up being hooked on alcohol and drugs – while unaccustomed to the ways of the real world, these youngsters do not fully realize the actual implications of a drug/alcohol abuse. This can also be explained by the fact that, while living in the Amish community, young people are forced to suppress their sexual desires. Therefore, when ‘out on the loose’, they naturally ten d to act in the ‘hyper-sexual’ manner – alcohol and drugs come in particularly handy, in this respect.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, this eventually leads many of them to decide in favor of returning back to the Amish community and giving up on secular lifestyles, as ‘innately wicked’. In other words, the Amish community’s continual functioning is ‘fueled’ by the destroyed lives of young people, who were unfortunate enough to be born in the families of the perceptually arrogant Bible-thumpers. c) One’s conscious choice plays an insignificant role, within the context of how he or she decides to affiliate itself with a particular group of people. As it was shown in the video, the Amish intentionally allow their teenagers to savor the taste of a secular life. This is because; the community leaders want to rule out the possibility for ‘unfit’ individuals to be able to join the Church. The extent of one’s ‘fitness’ in this respect, is being evaluated in regards to the tested individual’s ability to remain arrogant, as to the fact that the Amish are nothing short of degenerates, in both: physiological and psychological senses of this word. In its turn, this explains why the physical appearance of the interviewed young members of the Church (those that decided to return to the Amish community), bears the strongly defined marks of an anthropological atavism – bulging eyes, low foreheads, bad teeth and skin. This, of course, suggests that one’s willingness to join the Amish community is rather genetically then environmentally predetermined. Conclusion The earlier discussed documentaries confirm the validity of the suggestion that, in order for sociology to remain a discursively legitimate social science, its methodological apparatus must be observant of what are the biological determinants of people’s affiliation with a particular social group/organization/religion. The reason for this is apparent – in light of recent discoveries in the fields of genetics and sociobiology, the qu alitative aspects of how people go about addressing life-challenges, reflected by their socialization-related tendencies, appear to be genetically prearranged. As Dawkins noted: â€Å"We are all survival machines for the same kind of replicator – molecules called DNA† (21). There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ genes, but only the ones that succeed in ensuring the survival of its replicas, and the ones that do not. Given the fact that genes have long ago been confirmed to define just about all the qualitative aspects of one’s behavior, there is nothing particularly odd about the fact that people are being naturally driven to socialize with those, whose their sub-consciousness deems genetically similar – even if this is far from being the actual case. This is because, while in the company of mind-likes, people are more likely to predict the behavior of other group-members, with which they may end up competing for the same resource. In its turn, this explains why, as it was shown in People like us: Social class in America, those considered ‘old money’ do not seem to tolerate ‘new money’ people, while often denying them the prospect of being accepted socially. The same thesis can be applied, when it comes to explaining the socialization-related tendencies, on the part of ‘rednecks’. Apparently, these people’s very genes ‘tell’ them that there is nothing purely accidental about their low social status, and that they would be much more likely to succeed in ‘spreading the seed’, while remaining within the boundaries of their class. After all, the hypothetical attempt to attain a social prominence, on the part of a ‘redneck’, would be automatically perceived by the rich and powerful, as a threat to their own well-being – hence, potentially causing the latter to consider killing the newly emerged competitor. This also explains why, a s it was implied in The Devil’s playground, in order for people to be qualified to join the Amish community, they should not be merely familiar with the Biblical fables and emotionally comfortable with the community’s rules, but they in fact must be arrogant enough to think of these fables, as such that represent an undisputed truth-value. Allegorically speaking, one’s de facto legibility to join the Amish Church is being reflective of the concerned individual’s endowment with the ‘gene of stupidity’. I believe that this conclusion correlates with the paper’s initial thesis. References Cnam2000. (2009, March 8). People like us: Social class in America [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5MtVM_zFs Dawkins, R. (1976). The selfish gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lasrever. (2008, October 27). The Devil’s playground [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=957_1225131020comments=1 This essay on The Specifics of Society Genetic Constitution was written and submitted by user Makenna Petty to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Anarchy

Grapes of Wrath By: kevin cremeens The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930's lived. The novel tells of one family's migration west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930's. The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan. The novel shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California, and how they survive the cruelty of the landowners that took advantage of them, their poverty, and willingness to work. The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck adoration of the land, his simple hatred of corruption; resulting from materialism (money), and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile environment. The novel opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage. The novel shows the men and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is one of man verses a hostile environment. His body destroyed but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is through the use of symbolism. There are several uses of symbols in the novel from the turtle at the beginning to the rain at the end. As each symbol is presented through the novel they show examples of the good and the bad things that exist within the novel. The opening chapter paints a vivid picture of the situation facing the drought-stricken farmers of Oklahoma. Dust is described as covering everything, smothering the life out of anything that wants to grow. The dust is symbolic of the erosion of the lives of the people. The dust is synonymous with "deadness". The land is a ruined way of life (farming), people uprooted and forced to leave. Secondly, the dust stands for profiteering banks in the background that squeeze the life out the land by forcing the people off the land. The soil, the people (farmers), have been drained of life and are exploited: The last rain fe... Free Essays on Anarchy Free Essays on Anarchy Grapes of Wrath By: kevin cremeens The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930's lived. The novel tells of one family's migration west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930's. The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan. The novel shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California, and how they survive the cruelty of the landowners that took advantage of them, their poverty, and willingness to work. The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck adoration of the land, his simple hatred of corruption; resulting from materialism (money), and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile environment. The novel opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage. The novel shows the men and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is one of man verses a hostile environment. His body destroyed but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is through the use of symbolism. There are several uses of symbols in the novel from the turtle at the beginning to the rain at the end. As each symbol is presented through the novel they show examples of the good and the bad things that exist within the novel. The opening chapter paints a vivid picture of the situation facing the drought-stricken farmers of Oklahoma. Dust is described as covering everything, smothering the life out of anything that wants to grow. The dust is symbolic of the erosion of the lives of the people. The dust is synonymous with "deadness". The land is a ruined way of life (farming), people uprooted and forced to leave. Secondly, the dust stands for profiteering banks in the background that squeeze the life out the land by forcing the people off the land. The soil, the people (farmers), have been drained of life and are exploited: The last rain fe...

General Jimmy Doolittle - World War II

General Jimmy Doolittle - World War II Jimmy Doolittle - Early Life: Born on December 14, 1896, James Harold Doolittle was the son of Frank and Rose Doolittle of Alameda, CA. Spending part of his youth in Nome, AK, Doolittle quickly developed a reputation as boxer and became the amateur flyweight champion of the West Coast. Attending Los Angeles City College, he transferred to the University of California-Berkeley in 1916. With the US entry into World War I, Doolittle left school and enlisted in the Signal Corps reserve as a flying cadet in October 1917. While training at the School of Military Aeronautics and Rockwell Field, Doolittle married Josephine Daniels on December 24. Jimmy Doolittle - World War I: Commissioned a second lieutenant on March 11, 1918, Doolittle was assigned to Camp John Dick Aviation Concentration Camp, TX as a flying instructor. He served in this role at various airfields for the duration of the conflict. While posted to Kelly Field and Eagle Pass, TX, Doolittle flew patrols along the Mexican border in support of Border Patrol operations. With the wars conclusion later that year, Doolittle was selected for retention and given a Regular Army commission. After being promoted to first lieutenant in July 1920, he attended the Air Service Mechanical School and Aeronautical Engineering Course. Jimmy Doolittle - Interwar Years: After completing these courses, Doolittle was permitted to return to Berkeley to complete his undergraduate degree. He achieved national fame in September 1922, when he flew a de Havilland DH-4, equipped with early navigational instruments, across the United States from Florida to California. For this feat, he was given the Distinguished Flying Cross. Assigned to McCook Field, OH as a test pilot and aeronautical engineer, Doolittle entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1923, to begin work on his masters degree. Given two years by the US Army to complete his degree, Doolittle began conducting aircraft acceleration tests at McCook. These provided the basis for his masters thesis and earned him a second Distinguished Flying Cross. Finishing his degree a year early, he commenced work towards his doctorate which he received in 1925. That same year he won the Schneider Cup race, for which he received the 1926 Mackay Trophy. Though injured during a demonstration tour in 1926, Doolittle remained on the leading edge of aviation innovation. Working from McCook and Mitchell Fields, he pioneered instrument flying and assisted in developing the artificial horizon and directional gyroscope that are standard in modern aircraft. Utilizing these tools, he became the first pilot to take off, fly, and land using only instruments in 1929. For this feat of blind flying, he later won the Harmon Trophy. Moving to the private sector in 1930, Doolittle resigned his regular commission and accepted one as a major in the reserves upon becoming the head of Shell Oils Aviation Department. While working at Shell, Doolittle aided in developing new higher-octane aircraft fuels and continued his racing career. After winning the Bendix Trophy Race in 1931, and the Thompson Trophy Race in 1932, Doolittle announced his retirement from racing, stating, I have yet to hear anyone engaged in this work dying of old age. Tapped to serve on the Baker Board to analyze the reorganization of the air corps, Doolittle returned to active service on July 1, 1940, and was assigned to the Central Air Corps Procurement District where he consulted with auto makers about transitioning their plants to build aircraft. Jimmy Doolittle - World War II: Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and the US entry into World War II, Doolittle was promoted to lieutenant colonel and transferred to Headquarters Army Air Force to aid in planning an attack against the Japanese home islands. Volunteering to lead the raid, Doolittle planned to fly sixteen B-25 Mitchell medium bombers off the deck the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, bomb targets in Japan, then fly through to bases in China. Approved by General Henry Arnold, Doolittle relentlessly trained his volunteer crews in Florida before embarking aboard Hornet. Sailing under a veil of secrecy, Hornets task force was spotted by Japanese picket on April 18, 1942. Though 170 miles short of their intended launch point, Doolittle decided to immediately commence the operation. Taking off, the raiders successfully hit their targets and proceeded on to China where most were forced to bail out short of their intended landing sites. Though the raid inflicted little material damage, it provided a massive boost to Allied morale and forced the Japanese to redeploy their forces to protect the home islands. For leading the strike, Doolittle received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Directly promoted to brigadier general the day after the raid, Doolittle was briefly assigned to the Eighth Air Force in Europe that July, before being posted to the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa. Promoted again in November (to major general), Doolittle was given command of the Northwest African Strategic Air Forces in March 1943, which consisted of both American and British units. A rising star in the US Army Air Forces high command, Doolittle briefly led the Fifteenth Air Force, before taking over the Eighth Air Force in England. Assuming command of the Eighth, with the rank of lieutenant general, in January 1944, Doolittle oversaw its operations against the Luftwaffe in northern Europe. Among the notable changes he made was allowing escorting fighters to leave their bomber formations to attack German airfields. This aided in preventing German fighters from launching as well as assisted in allowing the Allies to gain air superiority. Doolittle led the Eighth until September 1945, and was in the process of planning for its redeployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations when the war ended. Jimmy Doolittle - Postwar: With the postwar reduction of forces, Doolittle reverted to reserve status on May 10, 1946. Returning to Shell Oil, he accepted a position as a vice president and director. In his reserve role, he served as a special assistant to the Air Force chief of staff and advised on technical issues which ultimately led to the US space program and the Air Forces ballistic missile program. Retiring completely from the military in 1959, he later served as chairman of the board of Space Technology Laboratories. A final honor was bestowed upon Doolittle on April 4, 1985, when he was promoted to general on the retired list by President Ronald Reagan. Doolittle died September 27, 1993, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Selected Sources Doolittle Raiders: First Joint ActionCalifornia State Military Museum: General Jimmy Doolittle

What makes people like to stay on their jobs Essay

What makes people like to stay on their jobs - Essay Example Based on developed level of satisfaction and happiness, employees determine whether to continue working for an organization or not. The factors also determine the employees’ productivity level, should they choose to remain in an organization. It is therefore important to investigate conditions that determine employees’ happiness and satisfaction to stay in jobs and reasons why employees may not like their jobs. Non-monetary factors Non-monetary factors are essential determinants of employees’ utility in a workplace. As a result, they are able to make an employee happy or not. An employee will for instance be happy if considered non-monetary factors meet his or her expectations. A match between job descriptions and an employee’s traits or abilities is one of the non-monetary factors that determine a person’s happiness in a job. This is because of the different expertise that each type of job requires and the involved strain in performing a job, shoul d an employee lack the required skills or traits. Matching employees with jobs that require their skills, level of experience and traits therefore eliminates strain in work, improves utility, and induce happiness. Employees in such working conditions like their jobs and would prefer to remain in the jobs and work effectively towards productivity. Mismatching employees’ ability with job requirements however identifies strains and incompetence in work that may discourage employees and lead to job dislike (Gaurav 9). Appreciating and recognizing employees are other non-monetary factors that influence employees’ happiness (Gaurav 9). This is because of the associated self worth that leads to self-confidence and internal motivation among employees. Examples of appreciation include congratulating an employee for an achievement such as meeting set objectives or doing an outstanding work. Recognition is, however, achieved by identifying an employee’s performance or char acteristics before peers. An appreciated or recognized employee therefore develops a self worth into satisfaction and happiness while lack of appreciation and recognition demoralizes employees who may consequently develop negative attitude towards their jobs. Presence of stress in a work environment is another non-monetary factor that determines employees’ happiness and developed attitudes towards a job. Stress primarily reduces people’s level of happiness and utility. Stressed employees will therefore be unhappy and would not like their jobs while employees who work in a stress free environment are likely to be happy and like their jobs (Gaurav 9). Monetary factors Monetary factors define direct financial advancements to employees. Remunerations, rewards, and appraisal-based advancements are examples. Even though not regarded as principal determinant to employees’ satisfaction in a job, money is instrumental. Employees will for example be comfortable when their basic remunerations match their competence and their level of input to an organization. A relatively low remuneration level would therefore not satisfy an employee and would lead to unhappiness. An underpaid employee will also most likely not appreciate the job and would be ready to leave for an opportunity that can match competence with pay. An organization’s reward system is another monetary factor to employees’ satisfaction and happiness that is directly associated with non-monetary aspects of appreciation and recognition. A performance-based reward for example indicates an organization’s appreciation of an employees’ performance and initiates the employees’ satisfaction in the work. Rewarded employees will therefore be happy and satisfied in their work. Similarly, those who have

Western Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Culture - Essay Example Centuries ago, the culture of a country was modified by wars and invasions. But now cultures are influenced by the corporate scenario in the country. Whenever a corporate giant enters a country’s local markets, it inevitably introduces a few subtle variations in the existing cultural practices. At the same time, the company has to respect local sensibilities and make certain changes in their strategies. A company’s success in the local markets depends immensely on how skillfully they negotiate the culture of that country, and in turn use it to their advantage. Once the company strikes the right balance, there is an intermingling of cultures, which introduces western cultural influences to the already existing local norms. A failure on the part of the company to adapt to local practices can prove to be a business disaster. For instance, the retail giant Wal-Mart was forced to completely shut down its operations in Germany and South Korea, when the local public did not approve of their characteristic working styles. (Schaefer, 2009) It would be beneficial to study an example to facilitate a better understanding of the influences of western culture brought about by corporate giants. McDonald’s, the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants has more than 30,000 restaurants in nearly a 100 countries and serves approximately 52 million people daily (Bhushan, 2002). McDonald’s was one of the first corporations to pioneer the field of quick service restaurants. It’s franchise in India is owned and managed locally, employing local staff and product suppliers. Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited owns and manages McDonalds restaurants in the western region of India, while the northern territory restaurants are owned and managed by Vikram Bakshi’s Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited. The first Mc Donald’s outlet was opened in India’s capital, New Delhi in October, 1996 and currently there are a total of 132 restaurants in the whole of

My First Skydiving Experience Essay Example for Free

My First Skydiving Experience Essay Jumping is fun! Skydiving is not just falling; it is flying—the closest we have been able to come to free, unencumbered, non-mechanical individual flight, says Mike Turoff in the book The Skydivers Handbook. I totally agree with him because skydiving provides the maximum liberty that one can ever experience. In this article, Id like to describe to you my first jump in order to show you how much fun skydiving is. First of all, I learned about skydiving via the Internet and TV. There are countless pages of information about skydiving on the Internet. My first jump was a part of the accelerated free fall (AFF). AFF is a course for training new skydivers which includes fourteen jumps. Even though it has fourteen jumps, you will always remember the first one! On the jump day, I went to the skydiving center at 8:30 in the morning. The AFF course started at 9:00. The course included basic parachute equipment information, free falling information, emergency procedures, parachute opening, canopy control, and finally landing information. We were only four people in the classroom. The AFF students studied all the necessary lessons to make a safe skydive. We used special equipment to study parachute equipment, canopy control, and landing. After seven long hours, at the end of the class, we took a written exam. We had to score 100% in order to pass the test. Everybody passed. Then came the gear-up part! We put on our diving overalls, parachutes, altimeters which are used to watch the altitude during the skydive, helmets, gloves and goggles. There were many professional skydivers around, and they were giving us a hard time with some traditional skydiving jokes. I myself was the first person from the class who was going to jump. The next step was boarding the airplane. We used a twin otter double engine aircraft. That was a large aircraft; at least twenty skydivers could get on that plane. I was sitting between two jumpmasters (skydiving instructors) and in front of a cameraman. At that moment, I started feeling extremely worried and excited. The jumpmasters were talking to me, asking questions about my feelings. During the planes take off, all I could say was, Wow! Then, I began watched my altimeter to see whether the altitude number was changing. I want to stop here to tell you something about the other skydivers on board. They were very relaxed although the aircraft was uncomfortable. Probably, I was the most frightened person on board. The others were telling jokes to each other and even drinking juice. Some of them were offering me candies and gum to celebrate my becoming a skydiver. In short, those guys were the craziest people that I have ever seen together. Can you imagine someone drinking orange juice just before jumping down from thirteen thousand feet? Well, thats what they did. The altimeter was working perfectly. Only that fact was able to make me smile a little bit, but I was also considering what I could do if my parachute didnt open! Finally, all the altimeters were saying thirteen thousand feet. The jumpers opened the door. I looked down and was able to see someone who had al ready jumped. Then, because of the cold air at that altitude, my goggles smoked up and I could hardly see anymore. After a few seconds, the smoke disappeared and I could see the airplane was empty. All the other skydivers had already jumped except for my jumpmasters and myself. They told me to stand up and walk toward the exit door. I felt pretty heavy and could hardly walk.This may have been because of the heavy jump suit and parachute equipment. As I approached the door, I felt colder and colder. My cameraman was outside of the plane, and the jumpmasters were holding me tightly for a safe, very first skydive. My jumpmasters and I did the exiting procedures and finally let ourselves go out of the airplane. Those were the most interesting and enjoyable seconds that I have ever experienced. For a few seconds, I had a sense of falling. Then, I noticed that we were falling faster and faster as the seconds passed. After a while, after about the first ten seconds, I could see my cameraman filming my free fall. I was supposed to do some air maneuvers to pass to the second AFF level. I did those. My jumpmasters were still holding me and waiting actively for any possible emergencies. There was no longer any sense of falling and speed. It was mostly like floating in the air and hearing the wind deep in your ears. I periodically checked my altimeter to see the proper altitude to pull my ripcord and open the parachute. The necessary altitude to pull it was 5,500 feet. At that altitude, I gave a 5-5 signal to my jumpmasters, and I pulled my ripcord. That was extremely enjoyable. My parachute opened fast, and I felt a little shocked. Once my canopy opened, I checked it for any malfunction. It was perfectly okay and stable. The canopy flight, of course, was much slower than the free fall. I could see the beautiful environment from thousands of feet above. Then I looked for the drop zone landing area and saw it behind the clouds. I flew my parachute to the drop zone and very smoothly landed on the ground. I was one of the successful students who were able to walk right after touching down, without falling. The 5-minute adventure was ended! I picked up my parachute and walked through the skydiving building. It was a sunny day. My friends and my family members celebrated the adventure for the rest of the day, and I decided to continue skydiving. Today, I am an AFF level four student with three successful jumps. However, of course, my first jump will always be the most enjoyable and unforgettable one. If I were you, I would not waste any more time. I would sign up for a very first jump as soon as possible. Once you try it, you will not be able to stop making jumps. At least, I have not been able to do so. I continue to go skydiving whenever I can. I would like to give one more personal message: Skydiving is a must-do activity, and everyone must try it at least once in his or her life. I guarantee you that it will be an unforgettable experience for you, too!

Essay --

Brenda Fitzgerald Delatorre Lynda Peterson ENG 102 16 November 2013 Are Video Games Good for You? In today’s society, gaming has become a popular tool used by all generations, and research shows that the gaming industry has caused positive outcomes for those that utilize them. Gaming has been blamed for when situations occur, such as in-school violence, grades, lack of social relationships, and language. There are many people that play these games. These individuals are of all diversities. On the other hand, it has been researched and discovered that these games can help with autism, hand-eye coordination, and even problem solving skills. Research is constantly conducted to weigh the positive and negative aspects of the gaming world. Some schools refuse to allow students to use computers; however, some rely solely on computers. Some families do not even have technology in their homes. This is an individual choice that is made dependent on values, beliefs, and family make-up. One should not be judged just because of the games they play. That would be something tha t could be considered profiling. Some play for leisure, some play for peace of mind, some play for educational purposes. Everyone has their own reasoning. Video games are talked about in a derogatory fashion for many reasons. Some of those reasons include childhood obesity, decreased social interaction, increased violence, and lack of academic success. These topics, along with many others, are prime examples as to why some parents and teachers are not advocates for these games. When there are school shootings, there is most often mention of the student being a gamer. On another note, these games depict women in a negative form. These women are fully devel... ...it. In conclusion, there is really no right or wrong answer to this question. When you research it online, there are more results that lean toward the good in these games versus those which are negative. Can these games cause some individuals to just go mentally disturbed? Absolutely! Should we place one hundred percent blame on these games for the wrongdoings by any human being? Absolutely not! The gamer has choices, as anyone else in life. It is a matter of self-discipline, pride, and common sense. Gaming has been such a positive source to so many. As long as it is encouraged and used in the right mindset, society will be okay. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/video-games-good-for-us_n_4164723.html http://www.businessinsider.com/heath-benefits-of-video-games-2013-9#a-driving-game-improved-memory-and-focus-in-older-adults-1 And the textbook

Human Wildlife Conflicts

ANIMAL ‘RIGHTS' OR HUMAN ‘DUTIES'? – A JURISPRUDENTIAL QUAGMIRE ON ANIMAL RIGHTS (HUMAN RIGHTS vs. ANIMAL RIGHTS- JURISPRUDENTIAL FRONTIERS) ABSTRACT Our ecosystem is a sophisticated organization which includes multitude of flora and fauna that coexist harmoniously without disrupting the sacred equilibrium. Homo-sapiens have topped this ladder of species by virtue of the sixth sense of thought. Even though humans do possess this exceptional faculty of reason, they cannot thrive in solitude but can only sustain by placing them amongst the rest of the organization. When humans started organizing themselves, attained civilization and improved their standards of living, they unfortunately undermined the relative importance of the co-organisms which make up the system, thus giving rise to the emergence of an anthropocentric society. The Research Problem The jurisprudential quagmire is the question whether animals too require ‘rights' analogous to that of human rights. Human rights are those inalienable, universal and egalitarian fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled merely by reason of his or her birth as a human. In the light of this definition, â€Å"animal rights† is an absolute misnomer. In jurisprudential terminology, a right is an interest recognized and protected by law. A right unlike an interest is a valid claim or potential claim, made by a moral agent under principles that govern both the claimant and the target of the claim. It presupposes two legal persons, viz., the subject of the right and subject of the duty. Animals cannot be the bearers of such rights because the concept of rights is essentially human; it is rooted in and has force only within a human moral/legal world. Moreover, by no stretch of imagination, animals can be regarded as legal persons. In fact, it is not the interes t of the animal but the interest of the human beings that animals should also coexist with them. According to Leon Duguit, your ‘right' is a byproduct of the other person preforming his duty towards you. He says there is no right but only duty. If the other has a duty towards you, you feel like having a ‘right'. Viewed in the light of Duguit's theory, the mounting problem of protection of wildlife is actually a human rights issue and not an issue of animal rights. Animalright is, in fact, an illusion created by human beings performing their duties to animals, to the ecosystem, to the nature and to the society effectively. If law is about balancing of conflicting interests as pointed out by Rudolf Von Ihering and later developed by Roscoe Pound, the conflict involved here is the conflict between the interests of those who indiscriminately destruct the ecosystem for personal motives and of those who are concerned about the mother earth. The Scheme of the Article This article seeks to explore the true nature of the jurisprudential basis of the legal protection of wild life and endeavors to put in correct perspective the need for eco-governance. It argues that animals cannot have ‘rights' in the jurisprudential sense; that right of an animal is an illusion created because of the presence of human duty to protect it; that if human beings acquire human rights by birth, they also incur absolute human duties by birth; that the ultimate objective of wild life protection law is to save and protect the ‘animals' and not their ‘rights'. It concludes that human beings are reckoned to be morally upright species and causing pain and suffering to animals puts them in a position much lesser than that of human. ADHEENA BIJU IVth Semester B.Com., LL. B (Hons) School of Legal Studies CUSAT Kochi-22

My Own Theory of Personality Essay

The theories of personality are contributed to by different psychologist such as B.F. Skinner, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and many more. It has been a part of psychology which enjoyed great attention because of its close relation to human beings. The personality of a person is not something that can be easily taken away nor could it disappear into thin air. Everywhere a person goes, that person carries his/her personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To create a personal theory of personality, the author would mix the theories of B.F. Skinner, Abraham Maslow, and Sigmund Freud. First, it would bear the hierarchy of needs of Abraham Maslow. It would have stages from the deficit needs to the being needs. The first stage is the physiological needs which are the basic survival needs for a person. It includes the food, water, shelter, clothing, oxygen, and other essential life-sustaining minerals and vitamins. The second stage holds the safety needs, which are mostly the need to protect one’s self from danger. It also includes security in all aspects of life. The third stage is the love and belonging need where one person has the need to belong to a group and be accepted lovingly by that said group. The fourth stage will have the esteem needs where one aspires for respect, status, glory, and fame in this stage. The fifth and last stage would be the self-actualization where the people have the chance to gain a full understanding and fulfillment in their life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just the same, one can not push through to the second level without fulfilling the first level first. Then a person will proceed from one level to another as the current level is fulfilled. Deprivation from each stage would mean negative drawbacks from society and different coping mechanisms will be employed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another feature of this theory of personality would be that there are certain things in each level which serves as the reinforcer for people. These reinforcers would motivate them towards attaining the second level. People have this nature of longing for the things they are yet to have in life. As they see and feel the good things in the next level of the hierarchy of needs, these would make them act accordingly in order for them to reach the second level. This operant conditioning stage gets into work when there is a transition from a lower level to a higher level. For example, when a person has satisfied the needs present in the first level, the person would be conditioned to work towards the needs listed in the second level by the satisfaction he/she feels for each level. Moreover, even when the person already has achieved that need, he would respond the same way to the stimuli.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, people would work their way towards these needs in accordance with the societal norms and as dictated by their ego. There are impulses produced by the id but it is controlled by the superego for the person to stay directed in their path upwards and to avoid negative social drawbacks due to the non-attainment of the needs in each level.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I see these three particular constructs of Abraham Maslow, B.F. Skinner, and Sigmund Freud namely hierarchy of needs, operant conditioning, and personality structures respectively as important factors for the personality of the human beings. These are simple to explain theories which can be easily related to the everyday living and behavior of people. In addition to this, they are among the theories that are somehow related to form a theory of personality. Their relatedness proves them important and flexible in any environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The personality aspect of a human being is a very interesting field. More theories are added to it and it becomes a much enriched one. Soon, additional interesting theories will enter the field and make it a more colorful one and expand its horizon to accommodate the various personalities present today.

History of homosexuality essays

History of homosexuality essays In the survey Other Times, Other Customs, the author explains that there is a enormous variation in human sexual practices, in both the activites that were allowed and the concepts used to make sense of the them. During the course of the survey, the author touches base on four major components of how homosexual behavior, in certain societies, may have been institutionalized. The four components are Age-structured homosexuality, Cross-gender homosexuailty, Role specialized homosexuality, and Egalitarian homosexuality. All four are related in regards to homosexual behavior, but are different in regards to the groups of people and the The first component the author talks about is Age-structured homosexuality. An example of this is offered in the culture of various parts of Melanesia. Young boys were taken from their homes and placed in houses a short distance from their villages. At these houses they were denied all contact with females and they prepared for manhood by the transmission of semen with older men. The young boys had to be the receiver of the transmission. When these boys got older, their roles are reversed and they become the givers of the transmission. Could this behavior be damaging to their characters, and make them feel insecure? I want to beleive that these behaviors only made them stronger, but I also want to beleive that they had a choice not to engage in the behavior if they did not want to. These acts were done, in an attempt to make sure these boys developed proper male values such as courage, proficiency in hunting, and the ability to dominate women(26) Should these boys really be taught how to dominate women? I do not think that boys should be taught that. This survey states nothing about these behaviors only being practiced in the past. I thought by now, women all over the globe have realized ...

10 Ways to Find 10 Minutes to Write

10 Ways to Find 10 Minutes to Write 10 Ways to Find 10 Minutes to Write 10 Ways to Find 10 Minutes to Write By Ali Hale How long do you need to write? We often think its not worth sitting down and starting a piece unless we have a whole afternoon clear – but even finding a spare hour can sometimes seem impossible. Try thinking differently about the time you need to write: one ten-minute session, six days a week, adds up to an hour. That could be a blog post, a scene of a novel, a poem, the outline of a new book proposal Heres ten ways to find at least ten minutes to write, ways you can reclaim annoying â€Å"lost† time and put it to good use. However busy you are, you can manage one of these today: 1. Write first thing in the morning Create an extra ten minutes in your day by setting your alarm early: get up, grab your notebook (or switch on your laptop) and sneak in ten minutes of writing while everyone else is still asleep. 2. Write on the train If you get the train (or bus, or tube) to work or school, write on the way. Some trains and coaches have power sockets for your laptop, but all you really need is a pad of paper and a pen. 3. Write while youre standing in line Next time you get stuck in a long line at the post office or bank, whip out your notebook and start scribbling down a few ideas for your next piece of writing. 4. Write during a coffee break Your coffee break (or morning break at school) can be a great way to find ten spare minutes. If you’ve got access to a computer and email, try writing a paragraph of your latest project – then email it to yourself so you can easily cut-and-paste it later. 5. Write in a boring meeting or lecture Stuck in a dull meeting or lecture? Instead of daydreaming, work on your writing: if you’ve got a laptop, type away, or just write on paper. It’ll look like you’re paying attention to the speaker and taking copious notes†¦ 6. Write in your lunch hour Make a point of taking your lunch hour rather than working straight through, and use this time to get some writing done. Even if you have to go and buy a sandwich, you should be able to find ten minutes spare to write. 7. Write in the car When the traffic jam in front of you stretches for miles, rejoice! Get your notebook out, and start writing. And if you’re lucky enough to have a traffic-free commute, end your journey by sitting in the car park for ten minutes, writing away. 8. Write while youre waiting There are always times in the day when youll end up hanging around, waiting for someone else. Whether it’s sitting in reception at the dentist’s surgery, waiting for the kids to get ready, or waiting for your partner to get home, use those few minutes to write. 9. Write while dinners cooking It takes ten minutes for pasta or rice to cook – so why not take your notebook or laptop into the kitchen and finish a couple of paragraphs while dinner’s cooking? You can keep an eye on the food, and your family won’t interrupt if they know you’re cooking for them†¦ 10. Write in the advert breaks Balance your laptop on your knees and write furiously in every advert break whilst watching television. During the course of an hour-long show, you’ll see at least ten minutes of ads. Plenty of time to finish off your piece! Where could you find ten more minutes in the day to write? How can you reclaim some â€Å"lost† time to your advantage? Tell us about it in the comments†¦ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know3 Cases of Complicated HyphenationIf I Was vs. If I Were

The social and political films of the 1930s Essay

The social and political films of the 1930s - Essay Example Even though equipment was new, but American public was poor at the time, as a result by 1933 movie attendance fell by 40 percent. To survive, the industry trimmed salaries and production costs and also shut down one third of the US theatres. The depression 1gave rise also to such movies that were more propaganda in nature. For example due to influx of refugees from Germany, a lot of Germans were even working in the movie industry led to the Anti-Nazi themes. It was under this feeling that by the end of decade, fronts were formed against Anti-Nazism, such as Holy Wood Anti Nazi League that explicitly made Anti-Nazi movies, a move far from away from entertainment. The rise of communism also made its presence in Hollywood. In 1930s Hollywood had its own Communist party under the leadership of screenwriter John Howard Lawson, who championed the cause of intellectual rights. Our Daily bread (1934) is a movie based on Communism in the backdrop of Depression, which portrays that communal spirit could enable a community to overcome the economic problems. The Great Depression 2increased poverty; while Prohibition shifted ideologies, which were clearly reflected in the movies. The Depression broke the promise of American Dream; many thought of a revolution to bring change in the White House. In 1932 the American Legion mentioned that the reason for chaos was American political system that needs to be changed. The response it was believed is revolution, as capitalism failed; Stalin seemed the rescuer for new setup. This provided dictatorship craze 3in Hollywood, a series of films that have strong tyrannical personalities, who with all their flaws had the power to steer the nation. The Power and Glory (1931) is made around such character, the railroad tycoon Tom Garner, who in the wake of railroad crisis brings workers to heel through his haughty personality. A times comes, when Garners happens to kill 400 workers to suppress strike, again shows that cruelty is acceptable, if it can bail out the people. Employee's Entrance (1933) shows the ruthless world of the business. The film depicts establishment of business since 1878 throughout the roaring twenties with a tone, that in business there is no room for sympathy, again is depiction of blind power from Hollywood. The rise of Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany and political corruption also produced characters for the movies. Colombia pictures presented an alternative to American inefficient democracy of the time, Mussolini Speaks (1933), where the pre-credit inscription mentions " This picture is dedicated to a man of the people whose deeds for his people will ever be an inspiration to all mankind." The narrator of the movie praises in the preface and mentions that, "Whether we agree with a man's policy or not doesn't matter. We're interested in a man if he marks himself a leader", depicts American society loss of faith on its leadership. This yearning for strong leadership is based on the assumption that even if leadership is flawed and tyrannical, if it knows, how things are done is better than democracy. Similarly in Gabriel over the White House (1932) again the need for a strong leadership is repeated, when newly elected president Judson Hammond is shown to be a lackey of his party willing to follow the party line