teen anger essays

teen anger essays Aggressive Behavior in Children Today; Are We Safe? Aggressive behavior can alter the lives of many, it is evidenced by the horrific stories that propagate the media. Children randomly shooting in schools, fired workers retaliating on their previous place of employment, damaging property or even committing acts of violence not to mention road- rage, a term coined after certain individuals would resort to reckless driving tactics when frustrated behind the wheel, the lists goes on and on. Nevertheless, determining how these acts can be reduced and ideally eliminated, several factors should be taken into consideration. Initially, a parents attitude toward a childs behavior has a significant impact on how a child develops his/her own coping skills. Effects of parental involvement and monitoring of a childs activities often times define how a child interacts with others. Parents who enforce certain rules and encourage communication while providing appropriate feedback have lower instances of aggressive behavior conversely, a child of a parent who has very little parental supervision has more incidences of aggression toward others. What is more, a childs perception of his/her parents view towards an encroachment drives behavior, whether it is positive or negative. Nurturing the parent-child relationship through active participation, guidance, and other options than acts of violence for problem resolution spans the gap of communication. Ultimately, by investigating the various views on parental interaction, hormonal influences, and the biology of the brain, demonstrate significance in developing alternate solutions for coping with stressful situations to prevent aggressive behavior that threatens our safety, such as, violence prevention programs, social awareness and or drug therapy. Can the level of cortisol, a stress hormone secreted in saliva, affect behavior? According to some resear ...

Philosophical Analysis of Terrorism and Torture Essay

Philosophical Analysis of Terrorism and Torture - Essay Example Modern wars are by design, not in alignment with the Just War Doctrine. Justification to initiate and continue a war is dependent upon the propaganda that starts before a war, continues and evolves according to the circumstances during this heinous act and subsides long after the war is over. It is therefore safe to assert that the Just War Doctrine does not in any way provide the control required to limit the violence related to war; instead it functions to guide the powerful forces to seek suitable justifications regarding initiation of the war process; no matter how misaligned the justifications. War conventions fail to substantiate in cases where the powerful forces regard their opponents as being â€Å"less than humans†. US attack on Iraq for eradication of weapons of mass-destruction can be regarded as a recent example of this scenario. Despite inflicting immense damage to the target country, no such weapons were recovered; the justification of war was hence flawed. Judging torture in the light of ethical theories can bring forth variable outcomes. The proponents of torture present it as the only available means for revelation of information that is essential to provide protection to other humans. An example in this regard is the ‘ticking bomb’ scenario that is often presented to convince people about the importance of torture as a means of ensuring the safety of masses. Judging torture from the deontological perspective brings forth the fact that torture should be avoided at all costs (Gordon 62). Since the proponents of deontological approach are inclined towards highlighting the importance of ‘duty’ without regard to the ‘outcome’; this approach demands that the general approach of treating the suspects be in accordance to the ethical principles and hence torture should be avoided at all costs. This is in contradiction to other ethical approaches which take into account the

Art in south afric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art in south afric - Essay Example The information acquired through this research will be shared with the black community in the South African ghettos for the purpose of reminding them of their fight for freedom and peace. It will be shared through community projects that will aim at fostering peaceful relations among the black communities living in Soweto and other ghettos in the country. The information will be vital in promoting their peaceful coexistence and their eventual prosperity. The aspects of the topic that will be interesting for the research are resistant literature, the period’s poems, and dances performed by the Zulu and the Nguni communities. This will be carried out in an effort to determine their influence in the fight for freedom and equality among the different races in the country (Harlow 98). The literature, poems, and dances were previously written and performed in the native languages though this changed in the early twentieth century when some of them were translated into English. Their translations led to the exile of many writers and performers in the country who had been accused by the white’s regime of influencing the black communities into war. During the Mfecane period, many tribes and the Nguni among them were pushed from the country by the Zulu who had become increasingly aggressive. These events are expounded on well by their literature, poems, and their dances which have been documented for future generations (Singh 228). Researching these three issues will help in providing insight into how their literature has affected the current literature and how it helped them in their struggle for liberty. The poems provided by poets like Miriam Tlali and Mothobi Mutloatse who were from the two tribes greatly helped in influencing events like the 1960 Sharpeville which raised the awareness of black suffering (Chandler 47). Their works

Is the USA PATRIOT Act an effective deterrent to terrorism Why, why Essay

Is the USA PATRIOT Act an effective deterrent to terrorism Why, why not What are your suggestions for combating terrorism - Essay Example The Patriot Act freed up international intelligence agencies so that they could share information in order to fight terrorism worldwide. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison stated, â€Å"The Patriot Act has enabled our law enforcement much more capability to capture terrorism than we ever had before† (Ynn, 2004). The Patriot Act has helped the government track a lot of the money that was being laundered to fund terrorist organizations. A lot more has to be done in order to improve our chances in the fight against terrorism. A strategy that could be used to attack terrorism is to improve the diplomacy efforts worldwide. The UN could formulate a special terrorism task force to oversee the efforts of the different intelligence agencies across the world. The agency’s budget would be funded by all the UN allies. The develop nations would have to contribute more money than the developing nations. The Patriot Act help unite the intelligence community, but the efforts of these agencie s are still fragmented. There is a lack of a united front against terrorism. The current war on the Middle East is hurting the image of the war of terrorism because people feel that the war is driven by the desire of the US and its allies to control the petroleum in the Middle East. A new effort lead by the UN would provide legitimacy to the war on terrorism. References Ynn.com (2004). Hutchison says Patriot Act effective in fighting terrorism. YNN.

Elderly Sexual Activity And Health Health And Social Care Essay

Elderly Sexual Activity And Health Health And Social Care Essay As Lindau et al. (2003) point out, sexuality involves the forming of a partnership and pertains to the behaviors, attitudes, function and activity of sexually active individuals. Sexual activity has been associated with health (Addis, Van Den Eeden and Wassel-Fyr, 2006; Laumann, Nicolosi and Glasser, 2005), and ailment and disease might significantly impair sexual health (Schover, 2000). Elderly people are recipients of a wide array of devices and medications which aim at treating problems of a sexual nature. While the demand for services and medication pertaining to sexual health is increasing, nevertheless not much is known about the sexual behavior of adults over 65 years of age. In the developed countries, the chronological age of 65 years old is largely accepted as a cut-off point for classification of a person as older or elderly. While common definitions of the third age such as this are indeed practically utilized, there exists no general consensus as to the point in time when one actually becomes old. Usually, the time in life when one becomes eligible for a pension is adopted as indicative of old age. The United Nations do not use a standardized criterion, but nevertheless agrees to 60+ years as referring to the elderly (WHO, 2010). A definition of ageing is provided by Gorman (2000): ageing is a highly predetermined biological process which eludes human control. At the same time, ageing is defined in a constructivist world, where different societies assign different meanings to old age. Chronological age is seen as most important in developed countries. The age between 60 and 65 is taken to signify the onset of old age. By contrast, in many developing countries, age by years bears little relationship to the definition of old age. In such countries, the meaning of old age may depend instead on the roles that are been assigned to older people, or even on the loss of previously-held roles, which may come as a result of natural physical decline. In sum, while the developed world defines old age in a manner highly chronological, the same is often not true for developing countries, where people start to be perceived as elderly when their active role involvement is no longer possible (Gorman, 2000). According to a definition by the World Health Organization (2001), sexuality is a natural part of human development through every phase of life and includes physical, psychological, and social components (p. 13). Another definition of sexuality provided by Rheaume and Mitty (2008) states that sexuality is a core dimension of life that incorporates notions, beliefs, facts, fantasies, rituals, attitudes, values, and rights with regard to gender identity and role, sexual acts and orientation, and aspects of pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction and involves biological, psychological, social, economic, religious, spiritual and cultural components (p. 342). Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 2001, p. 8). In turn, sexual health implies a positive approach to human sexuality and is therefore an essential component of reproductive health. It includes the integration of somatic, emotional, intellectual, and social aspects of an individual in ways which positively enrich and enhance personality, communication, love and human relationships (p. 13). Sexual health, not unlike physical health, is viewed as a state of well-being where there is an expectation of pleasurable experiences without the intrusion of negative feelings such as shame, fear, pressure or violence. In keeping with this definition, Calamidas (1997) suggests that home or assisted-living nurses can play a crucial role in the quality of elderly peoples life through helping them attain and preserve a positive outlook toward the expression of their individual sexuality. Historically, a large proportion of todays elderly people grew up and lived during a time when social norms were both conservative and gender-biased. Broadly speaking, sexual intercourse was considered as a pleasurable experience primarily for the men while women were thereby expected to sexually satisfy their husbands and to make babies (Hajjar and Kamel, 2003). People that today are over 70 years old may have actually missed the sexual revolution of the 1960s in the context and social conditions under which it took place, since they were already married and engrossed in their work and family life. This interesting analysis by Hajjar and Kamel (2003) proceeds to argue that the challenges to intimacy and sexuality faced by that age group may be partly due to the adoption of a rather conservative set of values and beliefs about sexuality, a limited availability and access to knowledge on sexuality, and a lack of feeling comfortable with their sexuality. Rheaume and Mitty (2008) suggest that nowadays the traditional stereotypes regarding ageing, intimacy and sexuality are being reexamined; that is, the point of view is promoted that a desire for intimacy and for sexual contact does not have to cease at any point during the lifetime. Knowledge on the sexual activity of the elderly people however is far from complete, especially within a cross-cultural context as well as with reference to educational and financial status. In this light, the generalizability of research findings in this area is rather hindered. Oftentimes, this means that health professionals may be left somewhat in the dark concerning the wants and needs of older adults as to their sexuality (Rheaume and Mitty, 2008, p. 342). Sexuality of the Elderly The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) has taken up the task of gathering data on the sexual activity, behaviors and problems of elderly people (Lindau et al., 2007). The findings of the national American sample of NSHAP show that while sexual activity tends to decrease with age, most older adults continue to enjoy intimate marital or other relationships, as well as consider their sexuality an important aspect of life. The majority of individuals aged 57 to 85 years old, and approximately one in three of individuals aged between 75 85 years old were active sexually. Even in their 80s or 90s, the elderly may practice sex and/or masturbation (Lindau et al., 2007). There is evidence to suggest that some men and women retain their sexual desire and partnership during the whole of their life (Addis et al., 2006; AARP, 1999; Nicolosi, Laumann and Glasser, 2004; Bacon et al., 2003). Some of these studies however have relied on relatively small sample sizes, and have utilized non-random sampling methods. Taking into consideration the above criticisms, Lindau et al.s (2007) study examined the occurrence of sexual activity in sexually active participants and did not find significantly decrease with old age. At the same time, the levels of reported sexual activity in respondents between 60 and 74 years old were comparable to the levels reported by adults from 18 to 59 years old, in a wide US survey (Laumann et al., 1994). Adults aged 65 years and over can retain an active and satisfying sexual life throughout their years (WHO, 2002). Frequent sexual activity is commonly reported after middle age (Janus and Janus, 2003). In the survey of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP, 1999) including 1384 elderly individuals, although sexual activity was reported as being pleasurable, no overarching agreement was reached as to the importance of sex toward maintaining a good relationship. The research by AARP (1999) also found that old adults who have partners tend to feel that a fulfilling sexual relationship is important, as opposed to old adults with no partners. Men older than 75 were more likely to have a spouse or partner and appeared to hold more favorable attitudes or more interest towards sex than did women of the same age. Men, whether they had a partner or not, reported a higher frequency of thoughts, feelings and fantasies related to sex than generally did women. Steinke et al.s (2008) research with healthy elderly people reported that the lesser health restrictions of the elderly helped them to retain their sexual activity throughout the course of their lives. Women in their third age usually demonstrate a larger diminution of sexual activity with time than do same-aged men (Lindau et al., 2007). According to the results of a multinational survey of persons 40 to 80 years of age (Laumann, Paik and Glasser, 2006), women tend to think of sex as a less important facet of life than do men, and they also tend to report more absence of pleasure from it. The determination of the dynamics that are involved in sexual satisfaction are of particular importance here (Carpenter, Nathanson and Kim, 2009). Henderson-King and Veroff (1994) and Sprecher (2002) have found that sexual satisfaction enhances the individuals well-being, while it promotes the stability of a marriage and of other personal relationships. A better knowledge of the factors that promote and lessen sexual satisfaction may help in the development of better-suited clinical and policy interventions against sexual problems (Bancroft, 2002). As populations age, a sound understanding of sexual activity in elderly people is becoming more and more relevant; people now enjoy longer and healthier lives, attitudes toward sexuality are being transformed and the importance of a fulfilling sexual life toward the attainment of personal happiness is being recognized (Seidman, 1991; Calasanti Slevin, 2001). Quality of life A number of authors have suggested that doctors and policy-makers are becoming more and more aware of the importance of human sexuality for health and for good quality of life across the life span (Lindau et al., 2007; Satcher, 2001; WHO, 2002). In his description of the cross-cultural study of the World Health Organization, Quality of Life/Older Adults (including such topics as autonomy, activity, functionality, intimacy, relationships, socialization, death, and dying, Robinson (2007) states that sexuality, health status and personal relationships were all significantly related to quality of life. Many studies have found that sexual activity bears a significant relationship to longevity and positive health outcomes (Palmore, 1982; Davey Smith, Frankel and Yarnell, 1997; Onder et al., 2003). Sexual problems Since the beginning of the 21st century new and considerable attention has been paid to the sexuality of the elderly as a result of the creation of drugs that treat erectile dysfunction. Male erectile dysfunction, if treated effectively, can prolong the active sex life of the elderly of both genders throughout life (Lindau, 2010). As Cambois, Robine and Hayward (2001) point out, in many countries sexual problems comprise a major issue for elderly people; in the United States, approximately one in two 57 to 85 year olds who are sexually active report that they have at least one sexual predicament, and one in three mention at least two such afflictions. Accordingly, the majority of the elderly people in Lindau et al.s (2007) study did report pestering problems of a sexual nature, and approximately one in four sexually active elderly participants of both genders refrained from sexual intercourse as a result of a sexual problem subject to therapeutic intervention. During the transition to old age, changes in physiology can impair the sexual responsiveness of elderly women and men, while they may affect, either negatively or positively, their sexual function (Bachmann and Leiblum, 2004; Rosen et al., 2005). Different aspects of sexuality had been found to have a negative correlation with poor health and age (Laumann et al., 2005; Schover, 2000; Laumann, Paik and Rosen, 1999; Camacho and Reyes-Ortiz, 2005). Isselbacher et al. (1994) and Rosen et al. (2005) state that problems of a sexual nature may act as precursors or as epiphenomena to significant infections or diseases such as diabetes or cancer. Sexual problems that go unnoticed and/or untreated may lead to or co-occur with depression and social withdrawal (Nicolosi et al., 2004; Morley and Tariq, 2003, Araujo et al., 1998). Medication prescribed to the elderly may have an adverse effect on sexual life (Finger, Lund and Slagle, 1997); even medication which treats sexual problems may have adv erse health effects (Lindau et al., 2006; Gott, Hinchliff and Galena, 2004). Steinke et al. (2008) also found that elderly participants who were not active sexually showed a worsening of sexual self-concept, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. In Konstam, Moser and De Jongs (2005) research, a heightened self-efficacy was demonstrated to improve on both sexual function and emotional functioning, not excluding depression. Health and sexuality Lindau et al.s (2007) study found sexual activity to be positively related to the physical health of the elderly, particularly in elderly men. In general, healthy individuals of all ages were more likely to engage in marital or other intimate relationships and to be more sexually active. Furthermore, physical health was found to be related to different facets of sexual function, as well as sexual problems, regardless of age; similar findings have been reported by other researchers (Laumann et al., 1999; Bacon et al., 2003). It is advisable then that, when specific conditions apply, elderly people who have health problems or who are to receive treatment which may influence their sexual functioning may need to be evaluated based on their health status instead of their age (Laumann et al., 2005). In a representative national analysis, Lindau (2010) assessed the relationship between sexuality, as measured per sexual activity and quality of sex life, and global self-reported physical health in mature and elderly adults. Lindau (2010) found that especially for older women, self-rated health was closely related to having a partner. Overall, participants who were of very good or excellent physical health were about 1.7 times more likely to show an interest in sex than did participants of less than good health. As Lindau (2010) puts it, when compared to women, men tend to spend significantly more of their life being sexually active but, at the same time, miss out on significantly more years of sexual activity as a consequence of less than good health. This strong relationship between mens health and expected duration of a sexually active life may be partly attributable to chronic diseases but also to treatment received for erectile dysfunction (Westlake et al., 1999; Solomon, Man and Jackson, 2003; Burke et al., 2007). The United Nations (2007) have proposed that in the developed and developing nations, a projection of peoples sexual activity as they become older can be useful in predicting health needs and resources, sexual function-related services, the recovery from sexual dysfunction due to illness, as well as the treatment for commonly occurring health conditions in the third age. At the same time, the wish to prolong the duration of their sexual life can modify older peoples important health behaviors; mature adults may for example quit smoking or take their medication more seriously if they expect that their action will promote a lengthy and fulfilling sexual life (United Nations, 2007). ΒΠ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± Addis IB, Van Den Eeden SK, Wassel-Fyr CL, et al. Sexual activity and function in middle-aged and older women. Obstet Gynecol 2006;107:755-64. American Association of Retired Persons. Modern maturity. Sexuality study. Washington DC: AARP; 1999. Araujo AB, Durante R, Feldman HA, Goldstein I, McKinlay JB. The relationship between depressive symptoms and male erectile dysfunction: cross-sectional results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. Psychosom Med 1998;60:458-65. Araujo AB, Mohr BA, McKinlay JB. Changes in sexual function in middle-aged and older men: longitudinal data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:1502-9. Bachmann GA, Leiblum SR. The impact of hormones on menopausal sexuality: a literature review. Menopause 2004; 11:120-30. Bacon CG, Mittleman MA, Kawachi I, Giovannucci E, Glassser DB, Rimm EB. Sexual function in men older than 50 years of age: results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Ann Intern Med 2003;139:161-8. Bancroft, J. (2002). The medicalization of female sexual dysfunction: The need for caution. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 451-455. Burke JP, Jacobson DJ, McGree ME, Nehra A, Roberts RO, Girman CJ, et al. Diabetes and sexual dysfunction: results from the Olmsted County study of urinary symptoms and health status among men. J Urol 2007;177:1438-42. Calamidas EG. Promoting health sexuality among older adults: educational challenges for health professionals. J Sex Educ Ther 1997;22:45-9. Calasanti, T. M., Slevin, K. F. (2001). Gender, social inequalities, and aging. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press. Camacho ME, Reyes-Ortiz CA. Sexual dysfunction in the elderly: age or disease? Int J Impot Res 2005;17:Suppl 1:S52-S56. Cambois E, Robine JM, Hayward MD. Social inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in the French male population, 1980-1991. Demography 2001;38:513-24. Davey Smith G, Frankel S, Yarnell J. Sex and death: are they related? Findings from the Caerphilly Cohort Study. BMJ 1997;315:1641-4. Finger WW, Lund M, Slagle MA. Medications that may contribute to sexual disorders: a guide to assessment and treatment in family practice. J Fam Pract 1997; 44:33-43. Gorman M. Development and the rights of older people. In: Randel J, et al., eds. The ageing and development report: poverty, independence and the worlds older people. London, Earthscan Publications Ltd.,1999:3-21. Gott M, Hinchliff S, Galena E. General practitioner attitudes to discussing sexual health issues with older people. Soc Sci Med 2004;58:2093-103. Hajjar RR, Kamel HK. Sexuality in the nursing home, part 1: attitudes and barriers to sexual expression. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2003;4:152-6. Henderson-King, D. H., Veroff, J. (1994). Sexual satisfaction and marital well-being in the first years of marriage. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11, 509-534. Isselbacher KJ, Martin JB, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Wilson JD, Kasper DL, eds. Harrisons principles of internal medicine. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994:262. Janus SC, Janus CL. The Janus report on sexual behavior. 1993. Cited in M. Wallace. Sexuality and aging in longterm care. Ann Long-Term Care 2003;11:53-9. Konstam V, Moser D, De Jong M. Depression and anxiety in heart failure. J Card Fail 2005;11:455-63. Laumann EO, Gagnon JH, Michael RT, Michaels S. The social organization of sexuality: sexual practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994:88. Laumann EO, Nicolosi A, Glasser DB, et al. Sexual problems among women and men aged 40-80 y: prevalence and correlates identified in the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Int J Impot Res 2005;17:39-57. Laumann EO, Paik A, Glasser DB, et al. A cross-national study of subjective sexual well-being among older women and men: findings from the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Arch Sex Behav 2006;35:145-61. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA 1999;281: 537-44. Carpenter LM, Nathanson ÃŽ-CA, Kim YJ. Physical Women, Emotional Men: Gender and Sexual Satisfaction in Midlife. Arch Sex Behav (2009) 38:87-107. Lindau, S.T. (2010). Sex, health, and years of sexually active life gained due to good health: evidence from two US population-based cross sectional surveys of ageing. BMJ, 340, 810 Lindau ST, Laumann EO, Levinson W, Waite LJ. Synthesis of scientific disciplines in pursuit of health: the Interactive Biopsychosocial Model. Perspect Biol Med 2003;46:Suppl 3:S74-S86. Lindau ST, Leitsch SA, Lundberg KL, Jerome J. Older womens attitudes, behavior, and communication about sex and HIV: a community-based study. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2006;15:747-53. Lindau ST, Schumm L, Laumann E, Levinson W, OMuircheartaigh C, Waite L. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States. N Engl J Med 2007;357:762-74. Morley JE, Tariq SH. Sexual dysfunction in older persons. In: Hazzard WR, Blass JP, Halter JB, Ouslander JG, Tinetti ME, eds. Principles of geriatric medicine and gerontology. 5th ed. New York: McGraw- Hill, 2003:1311-23. Nicolosi A, Laumann EO, Glasser DB, et al. Sexual behavior and sexual dysfunctions after age 40: the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Urology 2004;64:991-7. Nicolosi A, Moreira ED Jr, Villa M, Glasser DB. A population study of the association between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and depressive symptoms in men. J Affect Disord 2004;82:235-43. Onder G, Penninx B, Guralnik JM, Jones H, Fried LP, Pahor M, et al. Sexual satisfaction and risk of disability in older women. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:1177-82. Palmore EB. Predictors of the longevity difference: a 25-year follow-up. Gerontologist 1982;22:513-8. Rheaume, C., and Mitty, E. (2008). Sexuality and intimacy in older adults. Geriatric Nursing, 29, 342-349. Robinson JG, Mohlzan AE. Sexuality and quality of life. J Gerontol Nurs 2007;33:19-27. Rosen RC, Wing R, Schneider S, Gendrano N. Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction: the role of medical comorbidities and lifestyle factors. Urol Clin North Am 2005;32:403-17. Satcher D. The surgeon generals call to action to promote sexual health and responsible sexual behaviour. US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001. Schover LR. Sexual problems in chronic illness. In: Leiblum SR, Rosen RC, eds. Principles and practice of sex therapy. New York: Guilford, 2000:398-422. Seidman, S. (1991). Romantic longings: Love in America, 1830-1980. New York: Routledge. Solomon H, Man JW, Jackson G. Erectile dysfunction and the cardiovascular patient: endothelial dysfunction is the common denominator. Heart 2003;89:251-3. Sprecher, S. (2002). Sexual satisfaction in premarital relationships: Associations with satisfaction, love, commitment, and stability. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 190-197. Steinke, E.E., Wright, D.W., Chung, M.L., and Moser, D.K. (2008). Sexual self-concept, anxiety, and self-efficacy predict sexual activity in heart failure and healthy elders. Heart Lung, 37, 323-333. United Nations. World population ageing 2007. UN, 2007. Westlake C, Dracup K, Walden JA, Fonarow G. Sexuality of patients with advanced heart failure and their spouses or partners. J Heart Lung Transplant 1999;18:1133-8. World Health Organization (2001). Definitions and indicators in family planning, maternal child health and reproductive health used in the WHO regional office for Europe. Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health European Regional Office. Revised March 1999 January 2001. Accessed on 25 April 2010 at: http://www.euro.who.int/document/e68459.pdf World Health Organization. Defining sexual health: report of a technical consultation on sexual health, 28-31 January 2002. Geneva, 2002. www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/gender_rights/defining_sexual_health/en/index.html. World Health Organization (2010). Definition of an older or elderly person: proposed working definition of an older person in Africa for the MDS Project. Accessed on 25 April 2010 at: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/index.html.

The Inflexibility and Hubris of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall

The Inflexibility and Hubris of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart This novel is the definitive tragic model about the dissolution of the African Ibo culture by Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo, a great and heroic leader, is doomed by his inflexibility and hubris. He is driven by fear of failure. He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father. Unoka, for that was his father's name, had died ten years ago. In his day he was lazy and improvident, and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow. (Achebe,4). The reader gets a rare and exotic understanding of a totally foreign and ancient culture experiencing the growing pains of colonial expansion during the British domination of Nigeria in the late 1800's. Okonkwo's ferocity is demonstrated in the carrying out of his personal "dread" to the letter within his family, his community, and the invaders. His ferocity, born of fear, is his evil. During the Week of Peace, one of Okonkwo's wives, Ojiugo, has left the compound, ignoring her children and domestic duties, to "plait her hair." And when she returned, he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace. His first two wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it was the sacred week. (Achebe, 29) But Okonkwo was not a man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess. (Achebe, 30) Being unable to bend, he loses self-control and eventually all he has once stood for. The novel examples rites, initiations, and tribal customs whose images can be disturbing to western mentality, but also stresses the parallels and need in all cultures to have such ceremonies acknowledging important events in... ... make interesting reading. One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph, at any rate ... He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes On The Lower Niger. (Achebe, 208-209) Achebe suggests that colonialism has led to this entire tragedy, but the seeds of dread and self-will are obvious in Okonkwo. He is not a survivor. Our goal is to survive. In our journey through this life of good and evil influences, we purposefully choose our own end by the choices we make along the way. Success can be defined as the acceptance of all of our experience that has led us where we are today. Acceptance of ourselves is the key to acceptance and tolerance of others. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Oxford, Eng.: Heinemann Educational Pub., 1996.

Media Violence Essay

Television, magazines, radio, movies, and music are all forms of today’s modern media. Is it possible that our modern media could be causing crime rates to rise? Back in the 1920’s, these media’s came out so that people could stay connected with what was going on around the world. Soon, the media became a form of entertainment. Over the last five decades, the rules and guidelines of media have changed dramatically. When the media first came out, it was completely prohibited to even say something small like â€Å"pregnant† on TV, or cursing in music. However, eventually the new entertainment became old, and the producers of the media had to find ways to keep our interest. Therefore, the media starting making the previous prohibitions, non-prohibited so that they could keep our interest. In result, today the producers the media are showing mass murders and other violent things on TV, like showing murders and crimes. Music artists sing about violent actions. In many people’s eyes, the world we know as media has left a state of innocence and entertainment, to a world of violence and indecency. A plethora of people would say that change in the media has created new issues. Often times, people blame our media for crime rates that have been skyrocketing in the last five decades, especially in adolescences. In fact, violent crimes in adolescence living in America have more than doubled since the 1990’s. For this reason, we must ask, is media violence the reason for this aggressive behavior? After reading many essays, such as Mike Males essay, â€Å"Stop Blaming Kids and TV,† and Sissela Bok’s essay, â€Å"Agression:The Impact of Media Violence,† I realized that people cannot just pinpoint violent media as the cause of this new epidemic, because in reality the environments that kids live in nowadays plays a much bigger role. Therefore, through these essays, it became very clear that media violence is not the biggest issue for violence, but perhaps these children’s homes and families. The first essay I read, â€Å"Stop Blaming Kids and TV,† by Mike Males, explains to the reader that the new profound aggressive behaviors of children have little to do with our new media and more to do with their home environments. To begin Males’s essay, he starts by stating that many people believe that media violence is the cause of the new crime rate increase. Males then starts to list various groups that are strong believers of media violence being bad for kids and gives us many examples such as, â€Å"Progressives are no exception. Mother Jones claims it has proof that TV makes kids violent. And the institute of Alternative Media emphasis, the average American child will witness 200,000 acts of (TV) violence by the time that child graduates from high school† (253). Males then goes on to argue that point by stating, â€Å"None of these varied interests not that during the eighteen years between a child’s birth and graduation from high school, there will be fifteen million cases of real violence in American homes grave enough to require hospital emergency treatment† (253). He then continues by telling us that the Department of Health and Human Services said that there are over 500,000 cases of abusive parents reported each year. After the Department reported this fact, this report disappeared from the news completely after only one day (253). Another point that Males argues is that the Japanese and European kids have media just as violent as ours here in America and yet their crime rates are not nearly as high as ours. In fact, it is said that their crime rate are so low that their 17 year olds create less crime than our 77 year olds in America. Furthermore, Males then tells about his own personal experiences and what he has watched over his years of working with children. Through his own studies, he found that many of the kids who showed any acts of aggression or violence had an unstable or bad home life. For example: kids who have parents in jail or kids who have alcoholics in their families. Next, he tells us about the survey that he conducted in los angles from 400 middle school students. From this study he got that most kids’ parents are there biggest influence. Thus, when a kid sees his/her parents doing something, or acting some way, they are far more likely to act just like their parents did. To back this statement, he provided us with yet another study from the Centers for Disease Control, where they found that â€Å"75 percent of all teenage smokers come from homes where their parents smoke† (255). Males then goes on to conclude his essay by stating, â€Å"Millions of children and teenagers face real destitution, drug abuse, and violence in their homes†¦. Yet these profound menaces continue to lurk in the background†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (256) Males’s main purpose of this essay was to persuade the reader that violent media such as TV is not the only cause for why kids are violent. This essay was very effective because he used many outside sources besides himself. He used a lot of logical appeals and even a few emotional pieces throughout his essay. For his logical appeals he used university, departments, and programs that deal with the youth. These sources tend to be very credible and reliable. As the reader that makes us feel like what he is saying is very factual because he got his information from good sources. In addition He researched other countries and media violence in their countries, which was really good because what he found in those countries, was that even though those countries play the same violence and aggression on their TV’s, they have a lower crime rates which really helps back up Males’s point. Thus, for these reasons this essay was very effective in persuading the reader that TV is not to blame for this aggression. The second essay that caught my attention, â€Å"Aggression: The Impact of Media Violence,† by Sissela Bok, also explains how there is not just one thing that affects why kids are so violent but a myriad of things. As Bok begins her essay she states, â€Å"Even if media violence were linked to no other debilitating, it would remain at the center of public debate so long as the widespread belief persists that it glamourizes aggressive conduct, removes inhibitions toward such conduct, arouses viewers, and invites imitation. † (224). Next, she goes on to tell about how 21 percent of the American public blames television more than any other factors for teen violence. It is said that the media makes up for 5-15 percent of the societal violence. Furthermore, she then writes about Centerwall’s study which was published in 1989 which states that if television had not been created he believes we would have 10,000 less homicides each year (227). However, Sissela fights back to this statement by addressing that Mr. Centerwall did not take into consideration of other things that were going on at the time, like shifts in policy and population. Therefore, she persuades us that media is not a for sure topic to blame for the increase homicide rate. She continues her argument against blaming media violence by writing, â€Å"We may never be able to trace, retrospectively, the specific set of television programs that contributed to a particular persons aggressive conduct†¦. How can anyone definitively pinpoint the link between media violence and the acts of real life violence? †(228). Nevertheless, Mrs. Bok tells about her research on homicides in America and how the children homicide rates have escalated greatly, and then concludes her essay by saying: America may be the only society on earth to have experiences what has been called an â€Å"epidemic of children killing children,† which is ravaging some of its communities today. As in any epidemic, it is urgent to ask what is it that makes so many capable of such violence, victimizes so many others, and causes countless more to live in fear. Whatever role media are found to play in this respect, to be sure, is part of the problem. Obviously, not even the total elimination of media violence would wipe out the problem of violence in the United States or any other society. The same can be said for the proliferation and easy access to guns, or for poverty, drug addiction, and other risk factors. As Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith puts it not an either or. It’s not guns or media or parents or poverty. (228-9) Bok’s main purpose was to persuade the reader that media violence is not the only contributing factor into this new profound violence in children. She explains that there are many other factors like these kids’ home environments. This essay was effective because Bok used a lot of really good sources such as associations, psychologists, and studies, as well as many statistics that she provided for us. She also made it very clear that she had researched this topic quick deeply by going way back into the history of children’s violence in previous decades. She provided us with a very well displayed argument and even showed some of the opposing side. However, she always fought back with the opposing arguments with a better argument really building her argument into a good one. In consequence, Bok’s essay was a very effective essay and does persuade the reader into believing that media violence is not the main cause of aggression in children. Overall, Mr. Males and Mrs. Bok both had very good arguments. They both expressed their opinions and the found facts and proof to help back there thesis. While these essays did not completely take the same stand, these authors had similar views to an extent on media violence. In both of essay’s they uses logical and credible sources. In addition, in Mr. Males essay he also included a few emotional pieces, about his work with the children. Both of these essays specifically focused on the outcome of the kids and how media violence has affected them. However, both essays would like to say that media violence is not the pinpoint cause of why kids are being more violent nowadays, as opposed to in the recent decades. After reading these essays I do have to say that now I don’t believe that media violence is the may cause for aggression in adolescence. Furthermore, so who is to say that media violence is causing this aggression since there is no evidence? Better yet, why aren’t we looking at other oppositions such as children’s home environments? Either way this is an epidemic now, and it’s time we learn how to change it. It’s time for the community’s to get involved in helping to stop this epidemic. Perhaps this could be through offering more rehab programs for parents, or counseling to the children with deep levels of anger and hatred. Maybe it’s through offering anger management programs through schools, or spreading awareness, because in any situation, no matter the cause, this violence is happening, and we can’t stop it until we try. So like Sissela Bok and Mike Males, let’s look at other oppositions, and learn how to stop this violence before it gets even more out of control.