Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Type 2 Diabetes Essay examples -- essays research papers
Type II Diabetes Mellitus: An Emerging Epidemic      Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by inadequate insulin secretion by the pancreas or cellular destruction leading to an insulin deficiency. Depending on the cause of the insulin shortage, diabetes can be subcategorized into type I and type II. Type I diabetes (T1DM) is usually mediated by the destruction of b-cells in the pancreas resulting in decreased insulin production and secretion. Type II diabetes (T2DM) is the failure of these b-cells to secrete adequate amounts of insulin to compensate for insulin resistance and increased gluconeogenesis combined with an overall resistance to the insulin action (8., 1997). T2DM accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases.      While T2DM is traditionally viewed as an adult disease, its prevalence among children and adolescents is becoming a major medical crisis, particularly targeting minorities and those genetically prone, and resulting from the rising obesity rates, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary indiscretions. The disease is more commonly found in minorities, predominantly African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans. Studies of African American children have shown that compared to Caucasian children they have higher rates of insulinemia, increased b-cell activity, reduced insulin clearance, lower insulin sensitivity, and higher obesity risks (Arslanian, 2002). Although it is unclear if these factors are due to racial intrinsic differences, lifestyle, genetics, or other biological factors, these issues could easily explain the higher prevalence of T2DM among minorities. It is most accepted that a combination of these factors is the primary cause for the relationship between race and diabetes.      Some of the symptoms associated with type II diabetes include polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia. At diagnosis, 33 percent of patients have ketonuria, and 5 to 25 percent have ketoacidosis, both of which can be tested for by simple urinalysis (American Diabetes Assoc. 2000). Most patients of T2DM are obese with little to no weight loss, which allows doctors to distinguish them from type I diabetics. The total lack of insulin among type I diabetics, or insulin dependent diabetics, will result in problems in the storage of fat and mu... ....          American Diabetes Association. 2000. Diabetes Care, Volume 23. No. 3: p.381-389. 3.          Arslanian, S. 2002. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 15: p.509-517. 4.          Nesmith, D. 2001. Pediatrics in Review, Volume 22. No. 5: p.147-152 5.          Novitt-Moreno, A. 1996. Current Health, Volume 2: p.30-31. 6.          Rendell, M. and W. Kirchain. 2000. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Volume 3: p.878-895. 7.          Sadovsky, R. 2003. American Family Physician, Volume 67: p181-182. 8.          The Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus. 1997. Diabetes Care, Volume 20. No. 7: p.1183-1197.                         Â
Monday, August 19, 2019
Hamlet: Growing Pains :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays
Hamlet: Growing Pains          In the epic tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Prince Hamlet is entrapped in a world of evil that is not of his own creation. He must oppose this evil, which permeates his seemingly star-struck life from many angles. His dealings with his father's eerie death cause Hamlet to grow up fast. His family, his sweetheart, and his school friends all appear to turn against him and to ally themselves with the evil predicament in which Hamlet finds himself. Hamlet makes multiple attempts to avenge his father's murder, but each fails because his father's murder, but each fails because his plans are marred by very human shortcomings. It is these shortcomings that Hamlet is a symbol of ordinary humanity and give him the room he needs to grow.         The Hamlet that Shakespeare begins to develop in Act I is a typical mortal, bowed down by his human infirmities and by a disgust of the evils in a world which has led him to the brink of suicide. Hamlet voices his thoughts on the issue: ‘O that this too too solid flesh would melt...' (I. ii. 135). He is prevented from this drastic step only by a faith which teaches him that God has ‘fix'd/ His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter' (I. ii. 131-2). To Hamlet appears his dead father's spirit, and he must continue to live in the ‘unweeded garden, / That grows to seed' in order to fulfill the obligation he has to his father (I.ii. 135-6).         Making Hamlet more a story of personal growth than a dark murder mystery, Shakespeare emphasizes the emotional, rather than the physical, obstacles that Prince must face in accomplishing his goal. Immediately, Hamlet must determine whether the ghost speaks the truth, and to do so he must cope with theological issues. He must settle the moral issue of private revenge. He must learn to live in a world in which corruption could be as near as the person who gave birth to him. He also must control the human passions within him which are always threatening his plans. There are no more sobering issues than these which would catalyze growth in any human.         Hamlet's widely recognized hamartia, or tragic flaw, is his inability to make decisions on subjects with consequences of any weight. That he is aware of his stagnation in such situations does prove to be helpful in defeating this flaw. After passing up three oppotuities to entrap Claudius in the third act (the nunnery scene on which the king was eavesdropping, during The Murder of Gonzago, the scene in Gertrude's closet), Hamlet berates himself because of his Hamlet: Growing Pains :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays Hamlet: Growing Pains          In the epic tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Prince Hamlet is entrapped in a world of evil that is not of his own creation. He must oppose this evil, which permeates his seemingly star-struck life from many angles. His dealings with his father's eerie death cause Hamlet to grow up fast. His family, his sweetheart, and his school friends all appear to turn against him and to ally themselves with the evil predicament in which Hamlet finds himself. Hamlet makes multiple attempts to avenge his father's murder, but each fails because his father's murder, but each fails because his plans are marred by very human shortcomings. It is these shortcomings that Hamlet is a symbol of ordinary humanity and give him the room he needs to grow.         The Hamlet that Shakespeare begins to develop in Act I is a typical mortal, bowed down by his human infirmities and by a disgust of the evils in a world which has led him to the brink of suicide. Hamlet voices his thoughts on the issue: ‘O that this too too solid flesh would melt...' (I. ii. 135). He is prevented from this drastic step only by a faith which teaches him that God has ‘fix'd/ His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter' (I. ii. 131-2). To Hamlet appears his dead father's spirit, and he must continue to live in the ‘unweeded garden, / That grows to seed' in order to fulfill the obligation he has to his father (I.ii. 135-6).         Making Hamlet more a story of personal growth than a dark murder mystery, Shakespeare emphasizes the emotional, rather than the physical, obstacles that Prince must face in accomplishing his goal. Immediately, Hamlet must determine whether the ghost speaks the truth, and to do so he must cope with theological issues. He must settle the moral issue of private revenge. He must learn to live in a world in which corruption could be as near as the person who gave birth to him. He also must control the human passions within him which are always threatening his plans. There are no more sobering issues than these which would catalyze growth in any human.         Hamlet's widely recognized hamartia, or tragic flaw, is his inability to make decisions on subjects with consequences of any weight. That he is aware of his stagnation in such situations does prove to be helpful in defeating this flaw. After passing up three oppotuities to entrap Claudius in the third act (the nunnery scene on which the king was eavesdropping, during The Murder of Gonzago, the scene in Gertrude's closet), Hamlet berates himself because of his
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Foreign Direct Investment: Country Risk Assessment of Spain Essay
Table of Contents A.     Introduction                                         3 B.     Political Indicators                                   4-11 C.     Economic Indicators                              12-18 D.     Social Indicators                                   19-23 E.     Overall County Total                              24 F.     Works Cited                                        25 A. Introcution      Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a catch-up role in the western international community. Continuing concerns are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement.      Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries, is roughly equivalent to New England's population density. In ... ... 23 July 1998. http://www.businessweek.com/1998/31/b3589007.htm#Main%20Story Foreign currency Debt. Ministry of Economoy of Spain.      http://www.mineco.es/tesoro/deuda/acerca_de/en/acerca_div_i.htm Giles, Ciaran. Spain, Britain Predict Gibralter Deal. 21 November 2001.      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63022-2001Nov21.html Key Economic Indicators: Business Prospects for 2001. September 2001. Ministy of Economy in Spain http://www.investinspain.org/default.htm Society (Spain). On The Line. http://www.ontheline.org.uk Spain POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT. Tradeport Trade Directory.      http://www.tradeport.org/ts/countries/spain/political.html Quintero, Josephine. Economy of Spain: Historiacal Overview. http://www.andalucia.com/ U.S. Department of State, August 2000 Bureau of European Affairs.      http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/spain_0008_bgn.html#econ World: Europe, Britain and Spain draft joint proposal for labour reform. November 1998.      BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_224000/224854.stm
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Globalization in Brazil Essay
Globalization undoubtedly is the current prevailing world economic trend. A large majority of the countries adhere to the tenets of globalization. Globalization literally entails international economic cooperation achieved through the integration of different countries. It envokes the process of intermingling the different aspects of a country’s economy, politics, society, culture and technological forces together with the other participants of globalization. Globalization also creates a link towards the infusion of the local and national economies to create an international market economy, which is done by setting up means for capital inflows, reducing tariffs to give way to trade and foreign investment, migration and even technology sharing. The term globalization was first used during 1980s, though its concepts were not as pronounced as it is until the later parts of 1980s and 1990s. However, traces of the concepts globalization can be dated back in the early centuries, as seen in the ancient discoveries of new colonies and lands. There are three waves of globalization, the first wave which took place between 1870 – 1914; second wave during 1945 – 1980 and the third wave from 1980 until the present. The first wave of globalization was triggered by the decrease in transport costs, which enabled countries to quickly and cheaply transport their products. This had significantly increased export share in the world income. In addition, migration resulted to the influx and increase of labor force, which reached 10% of the total world population. However, though there was a significant increase in the trade and labor force during the first wave of globalization, there were still problems with regards to trade and services that surfaced in the global economy. These problems were due to the implementation of several policies like economic protectionism, which hindered the spread of internationalism amongst countries (Silva, pp. 4-5). Despite the impetus caused by economic nationalism, on the eve of the second wave of globalization, countries were persuaded back towards international cooperation. Hence, trade barriers that were previously imposed were reduced. At this point, trade was doubled relative to the world income. In addition, specialization within countries greatly helped in the achieving interdependence among countries, thus increasing world income. At the end of this period, in contrast to the first wave of globalization, the second wave brought in equity amongst countries (Silva, pp. 6-7. ) And lastly, the third wave of globalization took event during 1980s. This wave had been specially distinctive among all the turns of globalization. It was triggered by the recent advances in communication and transport, coupled with the choice of more advanced countries to seek for new investment opportunities and completely open their economy towards the international market and trade (Dollar, n. p). Moreover, during this period, a large number of developing countries had advanced to power, breaking into global markets; while on the other hand, there was a significant increase of marginalized countries suffering even greatly from declining national income thus increasing poverty in the area (Silva, p. 7). As such, there had been a variety of reasons on how globalization affected the processes in each country. However, the most encouraging effect it wavered upon the developing countries is that it significantly hastened labor abundance which gave national economies a highly competitive advantage in the manufacture and service industries (Silva, p. 8). This in turn benefited some of the countries and was able to keep pace with the advancing world. The newly industrialized and developing countries started breaking into industrial markets capitalizing on infrastructures, technology and other means of production needs. This resulted to a relatively high rate of increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the current determinant of a country’s economy success rate. Further, most of these developing countries increased their incomes by 104% since the start of 1980; though the rest of other countries who weren’t able to keep the pace were left staggering behind (Silva, p. 10). The world economy has indeed seen the effects of globalization on two sides: positive effects for the developing countries who were kept on tide by the benefits of policies imposed upon by the proponents of globalization; and the other, the immediate victims of these policies suffered within the less developed countries who weren’t able to keep abreast with the changes. Brazil was one of those who benefited the era of globalization, but as such they have been victims at first. Consequently, recent developments have proven that while globalization presented certain benefits for Brazil, Brazil has quite not been able to enjoy the expected benefits from it. Brazil: On a Staggering Start There had been crisis that had risen out of the emerging influence of globalization which created a great impact among the countries that played afar according to its calls. Brazil in 1999, was one of the countries to experience the adverse effect it had on world economy, but were able to pick up from the slump that it caused (Silva, p. 8). One of the difficulties that Brazil faced amidst the emergence of globalization was the crisis in capital. Brazil had used a pegged currency, which had put them in a crisis of fiscal and external debt. And though Brazil had tried to adopt a more responsible fiscal policy, their enormous debt teamed with low export and GDP and overvalued currency, all resulted to a capital crisis in 1999 (Silva, p. 20). Though Brazil was expected of becoming one of the successful countries developing during this era, they didn’t perform at the same rate expected of them. Though Brazil possessed clear indicators of progress, Brazil, economically did not perform the development anticipated from it. The period between 1980 – 1990 was known to be a â€Å"lost decade†for the Southern Americans, Brazil in particular. Wherein, during this era, per capita output was negative 0. 6% in a year, which has comparably decreased from the 3. 6% performance during the previous decade (Fraga, n. p). Hence the main difficulties suffered by Brazil at the start of 1980 were due to the series of unsuccessful plans at trying to curb inflation. The main reason behind this failure can be attributed to the fact that the development model used by the military government on Brazil was based upon cheap oil resources and capital, coupled with the inability of such policies to address the other basic necessities like having a sound fiscal and monetary policies. Let alone was that their development started from the capital crisis they suffered in 1999. As result they had to endure high debt and insufficient supply of oil due to high prices. Hence their effort of generating trade surplus to cover up for it then resulted to a high inflation rate (Fraga, n. p. and Silva, pp. 20-22). Brazil: On the New Start In the 20th century, Brazil made a significant progress and was among the best performing countries in the century. Brazil was among the top 12 emerging markets that experienced massive increase in the capital inflows, whose GDP increased to as much as 22%, contributing greatly in the world economy. Accordingly, alongside the increase in capital inflows, technology greatly improved thus making an entrance towards the international market a lot easier (Silva, p. 12). Brazil in case had developed EMBRAER. The existence of such company marked their willingness to compete in an open trade and investment. This equipped Brazil with an oligopolistic or monopolistic nature of a company, possessing highly advanced technology that soared above the standards of their products, thus bringing in heaps of profits for their economy (Silva, p. 18). Consequently, this had widely created a positive impact on overall growth of their investments. More so, at the start of 1990, Brazil started to liberalize their economy. Brazilian leaders opted to negotiate and redefine their economic policies to keep pace with the globalization trends (Langevin, n. p). They lifted trade barriers, import tariffs and quotas, and adopted reforms both economic and administrative ones. These policies included fixing the Brazilian currency to dollars, which helped put inflation at a halt. Economic reforms were done such that these were geared towards being more market-driven, highly flexible, with a more decentralized economic environment. In this regard, they transformed old provisional measures into creating a single trade law which was meant to make a more transparent set of policies that can speed up the process of making reforms and laws. Accordingly, this kind of reforms also allowed an economic policy geared towards favoring exports rather than producing own their own products for their country (â€Å"Brazil: November 2000,†n. p). Another step they took was implementing an austere fiscal policy and privatizing several companies, all of which were consistent with liberalizing their economy. Thus, although Brazil experienced several high inflation rate in the past years, and that most of their GDP was wasted with the inflation of goods and services; nonetheless, their per capita income had increased by a third from the last decade. Hence, after experiencing years of economic recession, Brazil recovered and started a fast growing cycle in the 1990s (Silva, pp. 40-41). Consequently though, expectators attributed the improvements in the Brazilian economy towards their inclination for liberalizing their trade and market activity. Through these changes that Brazil implemented in their economic policies, their economic activity fairly improved and they achieved their prospect growth for year 2000. Several factors that contributed to this growth which they attributed to liberalizing trade relations are as follows: (1) inflation has been pegged within the government target of 8%; (2) foreign direct investment (FDI) significantly increased from its usual value in 1996; (3) trade and GDP has been kept at stable 20%; and (4) Brazil remained to be the largest exporter of some widely used agricultural products. However, there were several economic slumps again experienced by Brazil. The outbreak of Asian crisis in 1997 forced the Brazilian currency to devalue to keep the inflation low. But nonetheless, Brazil was fast to recover and started growing again by the year 2000. Consequently new policies and austerity programs that the Brazilian government adopted kept them at pace of development. These programs had better kept them away from experiencing the economic slumps they had in the previous years. More importantly, these kept them away from acquiring debts and helped stabilize the ratio of debts to GDP. Moreover, to speak of progress is to speak of the quality at how the citizens lived comfortably within their mother country. Hence, the United Nations’ measure of Human Development Index (HDI) in Brazil widely soared up within the past 26 years. That even though the increase in national income cannot suffice alone to the improvement of the country as a whole, the poverty level in Brazil decreased significantly, and education and proper healthcare had well been provided among the Brazilians. The young Brazilian population had become highly educated, with more children being enrolled in schools, and ensuring that the Brazilian safety net always kept abreast with their population through the government’s initiative on providing their citizens with an apt nutrition program. In addition, social integration and cooperation amongst different ethnicities is an indicator of social progress. More so, Brazil also made great improvements in the field of political stability. The establishment and strengthening of a democratic system in the country is a well indicator of the country’s leaders to provide the general public a sense of working and legitimate judiciary and legislative system. However, given these factors and internal growth that Brazil has experienced over the past decades, in comparison to other neighboring countries Brazil’s economic performance is still insufficient and is still lacking to what is expected of them. Although the poverty rate of Brazil has signifcantly decreased over the past two decades, from 40% in 1970s to 36% in 2000, poverty rate in Brazil is still high in comparison to other develping countries (Mario and Woolcock, p. 2). The Brazilian Action In a nutshell, though the Brazilian economy presently comprises one third of the total Latin American production through the large conglomerates of various sectors such as mining, oil, iron and steel, and manufacturing, their economic growth is still less of what was expected of them. Given what seems to be like a hegemonic existence within their region, their growth rate remained below the average expectation. And contrastingly though, Brazil lagged behind Chile, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru. Though the Brazilian economy has seemed to be able to progress within the past years, their performance still has not reached the full blast. They have not yet enjoyed the full outcome of a rich economy. And consequently, the benefits that they get from a globalized economy is yet to be sufficient to call it successful (Luchino, n. p). Fixed capital product has greatly hindered the potential growth for Brazil. Fixed rates have been used to control inflation, however, as a result it limited Brazil’s opportunity to grow simultaneously at the same rate as that with other developing countries. Nowadays, the economy of Brazil is expected to complete a very competitive cycle. Their external and public debts had been declining, their GDP continues to be strong and growing, there have been significant increase in the export and as well as a positive trend capital inflows. Thus in analyzing the growth of Brazilian economy, the adversaries they suffered during the third wave of globalization were due to the fact that they were highly indebted with their economy limping from high inflation rates. More so, they had policies that weren’t appropriate to equip them within a fast paced economy that globalization is holding. Hence, at the event that Brazil started to liberalize their economy and open up their market towards the international market, and changed most of its economic policies to suit the needs for an international market competition, they at least were able to give birth to a new start as an international player. Indeed, though the Brazilian economy made a significant advancement towards microeconomic stability since being able to adopt helpful reforms in the 1990s, still, the pace at which their economy is growing is a matter of great concern. As such, compared to other countries and competitors which developed simultaneously as Brazil had in the past decades, Brazil is still trailing behind. To be able to reap the full benefits that a globalized world promises, Brazil must be aware of certain measures to ensure their success. First, debt management should be given extra attention. Analyzing the economic status of Brazil would suggest that Brazil is still highly indebted. Thus a more appropriate debt management policy should be adopted which will in turn be reflected with the country’s projected GDP growth as well as the other economic indicators. Second, Brazil’s trade policies should be kept more open towards the international economy. Presently, Brazil’s trade is still relatively closed. Their exports account to 13% of their GDP and 9% for their imports, which is comparably low for international standards. Thus, Brazil must work more on keeping these lines open to create a bigger space for their trade rate to grow. Finally, among the aspects that Brazil should work on is their infrastructures. As the means of transportation is highly significant for the growth of a country, Brazil shouldn’t leave this aspect of country’s growth in poor condition. More investments should be made to improve transportation, as well as increase their country’s interest on developing energy generating infrastructures (Silva, pp. 43-46). Furthermore, wherein economic growth is an interplay of physical resources and human capital, aside from the financial and monetary aspects, there are still six other important areas that Brazil should prioritize for them to be able to reach the full blast of their economy. These are: (1) enbaling an environment conducive for learning and growth; (2) creating wider array for knowledge creation and commercialization; (3) acquisition of knowledge from more advanced countries; (4) advancement and proper dissemination of technology; (5) improvement in the basic education; and (6) giving priority to tertiary education (Rodriguez, p. 4). Thus, for Brazil to reach the full potential of their country, they must utilize not only the raw and fixed natural resources within the country. They must learn how to develop the potential of their human resources, because the people will be the one to stir their national development. If they bank on the human capital and innovation, it could greatly increase the level of competitiveness given that they could develop more talented individuals to maneuver the country’s growth. Therefore, if given the consideration for the work force to grow, improvement of education, enhancement of technology and innovation – altogether these can provide a proper link for productivity (Luchino, n. p). With these tools, the Brazilian economy can reach another step for growth to increase investment and keep GDP at a stable rate. Works Cited â€Å"Brazil: November 2000. †1 November 2002. World Trade Organization. 24 February 2008 Dollar, David. â€Å"Questions and Answers with David Dollar. †Globalization. 5 April 2008 Fraga, Arminio. â€Å"A Fork in the Road. †2005 December. Finance and Development. 8 April 2008 Langevin, Mark. â€Å"Brazil’s Key Role in Globalization. †12 October 2004. Brazzil Magazine. 24 February 2008 Luchino, Marcelo. â€Å"The Globalization of Brazil. †27 December 2007. Safe Democray. 8 April 2008 Mario, Estanislao Gacitua and Michael Woolcock. â€Å"Assessing Social Exlusion and Mobility in Brazil. †The World Bank. 8 April 2008 Rodriguez, Alberto. â€Å"Brazil: Seizing the Opportunity to Compete? †The World Bank. 8 April 2008. Silva, Antonio Elias. Openness and Development: A General Analysis and a Close Look at China, Argentina and Brazil. Institute of Brazilian Issues, April 2004.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Cell Phones: Addicting or Not? Essay
Are we addicted to our cell phones? This is a common question that has arisen in the past several years as our phone technology and capabilities continue to increase. According to recent statistics, 85% of the U.S. population are cell phone users (Chen).We Americans use our cell phones to do just about everything. We talk, text, check our E-mail, surf the Internet, and interact in social networking, all on our phones. Because our phones have become so resourceful to us in our everyday lives, many say that cell phones have become addicting. Cell phones in today’s life have become very addicting to many people, and there are many ways in which to show how they are addicting. â€Å"An addiction is the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit- forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma†(dictionary.com). Addiction is when a person becomes dependent on something and feels like they can’t go without it. For example, a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol cannot go without that substance or drink without suffering from physical or psychological problems. Whenever they are away from it or withdrawn from it that is all they think about and they will do anything to get what they need to satisfy the craving. These individuals become dependent upon that substance or act and feel like they cannot go without it. The usage of cell phones has become very addicting for the people in the world today. David Greenfield, a psychologist who is an expert on Internet-related behaviors, says that constant and continual use of untethered devices produces chemical responses in the body similar to gambling (Tanaka, and Terry-Cobo). â€Å"We tote our iPhones, LGs and Blackberrys with us so we can contact anyone, anywhere, anytime, and so we can be reached instantly (Tanaka, and Terry-Cobo).†In today’s world, people depend on their cell phone for their businesses, their social lives, and for gaming. They have become so dependent upon their cell phones that many people no longer have the land-line phone in their house or their business. Business men and women have become so dependent on their cell phones that they now have become addicted. It would be almost impossible to find a business man or woman who does not carry a cell phone with them twenty-four hours a day. They use them to call and meet new clients to gain business. They use them to talk with workers and keep up with what is going on back the office as they travel. They can use them as reminders of meeting and when things are due as well as the activities they go through in everyday life. The way the business people use their cell phones has led to an increase in business’s efficiency and with increased efficiency at which people can work the cell phone leads that person to being more dependent upon their cell phone. Additionally, people use their cell phones as a way to keep up with their social life. People use their cell phones in their social life to the extent that without their phone they feel totally alone. This connection between phone and social life is the reason cell phones are so addicting. They can call from almost anywhere in the world. They can text someone when the time is not right to call or when they don’t want to talk. They can check Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, and even the news, from the convenience of their mobile phone. Lisa Merlo, an assistant professor of psychiatry in the University of Florida College of Medicine, said, â€Å"It’s this need to be connected, to know what’s going on and be available to other people. That’s one of the hallmarks of cell phone addiction. (cellular-news)†The ways that phones make it easier to communicate with people causes them to use the cell phones more and more as a way to communicate. This increased usage causes people to become more dependent and thereby addicted to their phone. People have become so addicted to their cell phones they have chosen their phones over a long-term relationship. Psychologist David Sheffield said, â€Å"The most shocking figure was that 7 percent (of students surveyed) said the use of mobile phones had caused them to lose a relationship or a job. (cellular-news)†Another way that cell phones are addicting is because people use their phones to play an assortment of games. There are millions of games that people can play just by simply downloading a game or application to their phones. People no longer have to stay at home and play their games on a gaming device or computer. Now they can play games away from their homes and pretty much wherever and whenever they want. Many times people try to carry on face-to-face conversations while being distracted while gaming on their cell phone. This feeling of endless and uncontained gaming is yet another way that people get hooked to their cell phones. â€Å"Experts say cell phone usage will only increase as the phones become more sophisticated and powerful, likely replacing laptops in the future.†(Tanaka, and Terry-Cobo) Cell phones are used by so many people and do so many things to help people that they have become a necessity, rather than a convenience, in order for people to carry on their lives. This necessity or dependency is the addiction that people face with their cell phones. When these people lose or break their phones they panic, feel anxiety and look for the quickest way to fix the problem. For example, the car needs the oil changed and at the same time the phone is broken. Most people today will put their phones as top priority and get it fixed before repairing their car. This choice is a true indication of cell phone addiction. People’s cell phones have become part of their daily life, and they are so dependent on their phones that they cannot function without them. When that phone is taken away, people just don’t feel right or feel like they can’t function without their phones. People feel that it is so necessary to pay their cell phone bill, that they will pay that bill before they pay their rent. These actions of not being able to go without are cell phone is what defines an addiction. Therefore, cell phones are in fact an addiction. As additional proof of this addiction, try leaving your phone at home tomorrow. Will you return home to get your cell phone even if it means being late to work or school? If you do not return home to get your phone, how many times throughout the day will you wonder who has called or texted you? Are you missing an emergency? Will you rush home to check it? A â€Å"yes†response to any of these questions is an indication of cell phone addiction. Try this simple test and you will agree that cell phones are indeed addicting. Works Cited â€Å"Addiction.†_Dictionary.com Unabridged._ Random House, Inc. (2012) Web. 12 March 2012. . â€Å"Cellphone use becoming a major problem for some.†_cellular-news_. cellular-news, 22 January 2007 . Web. 12 Mar 2012. . Chen, Brian. â€Å"Gadget Lab.†_Wired_. Wired, 15 Oct 2010. Web. 15 Mar 2012. . Meyer, Michele. â€Å"Cutting the Cellphone Cord.†_Shape_ 2002: 26-. _ProQuest Research_ _Library._ Web. 15 Mar. 2012 . Tanaka, Wendy, and Sara Terry-Cobo. â€Å"Cellphone Addiction.†_Forbes.com_. Forbes, (2008) Web. 10 Mar. 2012. .
Thursday, August 15, 2019
How Are the Themes of Loneliness in “of Mice and Men�
How are the themes of loneliness and isolation explored in â€Å"Of Mice and Men†? Born in 1902, John Steinbeck, author of ‘Of Mice and Men’, set his book in the 1930’s. The novel revolves around two hard-working men dependant on one another during the Great Depression, a time when most were alone. Many themes are explored in the novel such as racism, loneliness, disability, isolation and friendship. This essay will be talking about how the themes of loneliness and isolation are explored in ‘Of Mice and Men’. Gender is one way in which Steinbeck illustrates loneliness and isolation.The character of Curley’s wife is used to portray this. Throughout the book Curley’s wife is never referred to her name which is unknown. This suggests that she is a possession belonging to Curley. By not having her name mentioned; Curley’s wife remains distant even though she tells Lennie her life story as without a name she remains mysterious. Her marriage to Curley causes for her to be rejected by the ranch workers when she seeks out their attention and friendship. Therefore she is not only lonely but also isolated as there are only men on the ranch who turn away from her.Critics may argue that Steinbeck was too harsh in not giving a name to Curley’s wife but in my opinion John Steinbeck was only portraying the reality of that particular time period. Steinbeck also uses age to explore the themes of loneliness and isolation. Candy, an old ranch worker, is used to display these themes. As the oldest man on the ranch Candy is the most insecure of the men as he knows that if he was to be fired from his job he would have no other place to go to, what with having no family or friends. This knowledge isolates him from the others as there’s no one whom he can relate to this about.Critics may say that John Steinbeck is stereotyping old people as useless. Another way in which the two themes are explored is through ra cism. For this John Steinbeck uses Crooks. As a stable buck and a black person, Crooks is isolated from the other characters. He has his own room which may be fortunate but only further alienates him from the other workers. Crooks shows that he is lonely while talking to Lennie, he says, â€Å"I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick. †He talks of how he wakes up in the night and sees something but doesn’t know if he was just dreaming, if had a friend he would have asked him.Because of his race Crooks has many disadvantages one of them being that he is not allowed to enter the bunkhouse. Another being that he is abused by the other workers. Crooks is not given a chance to befriend anyone and is therefore both physically and mentally isolated. Lennie shows how disability can lead to loneliness and isolation. His child-like mentality distances him from the other workers. Though he talks to and is talked to by other characters he is isolated in his mind be cause there is still a separation. His disability causes the other characters on the ranch to treat him as inferior.Lennie was told both Crooks’ and Curley’s wife’s life story but it doesn’t mention in the book whether or not he was really listening when the two confided in him. This makes you doubt whether or not Lennie is actually as he is described. Critics may say that Lennie’s character was too unrealistic and overdrawn. Euthanasia is used to explore the themes of loneliness and isolation. Again Lennie is used to display this along with Candy’s dog. Both of them were in a similar situation where their death was what was best for them. Throughout the book Lennie is described as animalistic which further connects him to Candy’s dog.Lennie was killed by someone who cared about him, George, while Candy had wished to have been the one who had killed his dog. Without his dog Candy was left as lonely because though he still had the othe rs, his dog was the one who was always by his side. It shows that Lennie was truly lonely because when he died though George was shaken he had Slim as a friend to replace Lennie. John Steinbeck uses dreams to show loneliness and isolation. George’s character is used to show this. Although most of the ranch workers like George, he is mentally isolated. This is because of his dream which distances him from the other characters.His dream acts as a burden because in the end he knows that it will never come true. His awareness causes for him to be isolated, lonely and unreachable. Financial status also displays loneliness and isolation. For this the character of Curley is used. Curley can be viewed as the villain in the novel because of the abusive way he treats the other workers. He uses his small size as an advantage. The main difference though between him and the workers is money. Curley is married and yet because he is the boss’s son he doesn’t have to work like the others characters do.He uses the fact that he has authority and dominates the ranch workers. But being the boss’ son only further alienates him from the other characters and causes him to be lonely. Curley’s wife would constantly flirt with the other ranch-hands. This made him a subject of ridicule and further isolated him. Another way in which John Steinbeck uses to explore the themes of loneliness and isolation is through marriage. Curley and his wife are used to depict this. Both of them are stuck in a loveless marriage. Curley’s wife revealed to Lennie that she didn’t like Curley.Ways that you can tell Curley doesn’t love his wife is like the fact that he went to a cat house with the other men. In addition, when his wife was killed he set out to punish Lennie instead of mourning her; this shows that he was more interested in getting back at Lennie for personal reasons instead of losing his wife. Curley and his wife are therefore viewed as l onely. Their title as a married couple also isolates them from others on the ranch as there are expectations of how they should act and who they should talk to. Friendship is used by John Steinbeck to display loneliness and isolation.There are many forms of friendship in â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, the main one being George and Lennie’s friendship. The two of them are dependent on one another for different reasons. Lennie needs George to help him because of his mental disability. While George needs Lennie for company. Critics may argue that Steinbeck showed their friendship as abusive and forced. Another friendship brought together by loneliness is Curley’s wife and Lennie. This shows that they were all lonely as they settled for each other purely because they wanted companionship and someone to talk to. John Steinbeck also used other features to display loneliness and isolation.The novel began with a lonely atmosphere as he described the setting. This indicated tha t there was no-one around to describe or mention which gave you the feeling of isolation. Also the name of the city, Soledad, means solitude and loneliness in Spanish. In conclusion, John Steinbeck explored the themes of loneliness and isolation in many ways, using other themes and features. Although Steinbeck doesn’t allow you to clearly see his characters so you are unable to discern whether they are really lonely and isolated or if they are just portrayed and viewed as lonely and isolated.
Fear of Failure in Athletes
Fear of failure is the motive to avoid failure in achievement situations. It is not difficult to imagine a Division I college basketball athlete at the foul line, with no time left on the clock and a tied score. Is it the fear of failure or the achievement of success that determines whether the athlete will make the shot? Athletes of all levels and abilities fear failure, because of different experiences and developments. The fear of failure can be developed for a number of reasons and how the athlete copes with failure determines their success.A multidimensional, hierarchal model of fear of failure was created by David Conroy to attempt to analyze the different consequences of failing that lead to the fear of failure. Fear of failure can be represented in a hierarchal structure with five lower order factors and a single higher order factor, representing a general fear of failure. The five lower order fears of failing include fears of experiencing shame and embarrassment, fears of de valuing one’s self estimate, fears of having an uncertain future, fears of important others losing interest, and fears of upsetting important others (Conroy 2004).These fears show similar patterns with measures of self-talk, achievement goals, and contextual motivation. To investigate whether the hierarchal model was similar to the previous mentioned measures Conroy conducted a study between two different groups of athletes. Conroy chose 438 students from a large university that were engaged in recreational physical activities to complete the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory. He also chose 71 female members of a Division I track team to complete the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, Achievement Goal Questionnaire for Sport, and the Sport Motivation Scale.Conroy found that all lower order fear of failure scores exhibited the same pattern of correlations with scores for self-talk while failing, achievement goals, and contextual motivation. Conroy learned that when the individuals thought they were going to fail, they reacted in a manner that resembled the original consequences they fear. The findings of this study suggest that different forms of fear of failure vary in their maladaptiveness. Fears are generally accepted as a standard during childhood and are considered an adaptive emotional reaction to threat.Therefore, it is acceptable to assume that fear of failure is developed during an athletes childhood. Three factors have been associated with the development of children’s fear of failure, parent-child communication and interaction, family climate, and parental high expectations and demands (Sagar 2009). To learn whether young athletes’ fear of failure comes from their parents Sagar conducted interviews on three families of young elite athletes. The athletes were 13 to 14 years old and competing at national or international levels.The interviews and observations were conducted with one family at a time during a three to fo ur week period. The results helped to better understand how the fear of failure was conveyed between parents and athletes. Sagar’s findings revealed failure was conveyed through parental punitive behavior, parental controlling behavior, and parental high expectations. The most common fears of failure reported were fears of others’ negative judgment, of not attaining aspirations, and of non-selection to future competitions.Sagar proved that parental view of failure influences the way young athletes view and interpret fear of failure. Sagar decided to further her research and initiate a study that would explain whether educational programs could help the parent-child relationships, thereby, helping to reduce the athletes’ fear of failure. Sagar comprised two separate programs that taught parents about the fear of failure and their importance in the development of their child’s fear of failure.A questionnaire administered after the program showed that the pa rents reduced their punitive behaviors and adopted more favorable ways of reacting to their child’s failures. The programs helped the parents to improve the condition of their interaction with their children and reduce the children’s levels of fear of failure. The cognitive-behavioral techniques used were proved helpful and could be implemented to other athletes to help reduce the children’s levels of fear of failure. One of the ongoing debates within the research is whether athletes fear failure or the consequences of failure.It is obvious that athletes interpret winning as a standard for success and losing as a standard for failing, but failure can be interpreted by the athlete’s perception of failure. Sagar conducted a study to distinguish what specifically athletes fear about failure. She interviewed nine British elite athletes aged 14-17 years old. Sagar asked questions concerning the athletes’ perceptions of consequences of failure. Examples of questions included, â€Å"tell me how you behaved after that failure†and â€Å"describe how you felt after that failure. The athletes described the consequences of failure as diminished perception of self, no sense of achievement, emotional cost of failure, letting down significant others, negative social evaluation, lose motivation and drop out, tangible losses, have an uncertain future, having reoccurring thoughts of failure, and intangible losses (Sagar 2007). The consequences that were perceived by all nine athletes were diminished perception of self, no sense of achievement, and emotional cost of failure. The athletes described consequences of failure that they disliked and wanted to avoid and deemed them as threats that they anticipated and feared.Multiple athletes reported a loss of motivation after failure, which in turn means failure could prevent athletes from reaching their potential. Furthermore, it is logical to assume that fear of failure can potentially by harmful to athletes’ performances, as fear of failure itself might be a threat to achieving their desired goal. Effective coping responses to fear of failure are exceptionally important in athletes. Athletes who do not posses effective coping skills to deal with situations that involve failure and are likely to experience negative effects such as, poor performance or the possibility of dropping out of the sport (Sagar 2009).Sagar created an experiment to examine the effects of fear of failure on athletes and how the athletes coped with the effects that fear of failure induced before competition. Sagar interviewed nine British athletes aged 14-17 years old that were competing at the national level and had experience competing at the international level. The interview allowed each athlete to individually relate to his or her own experiences in a free and open manner. The athletes were asked questions aimed to determine their perceptions of failure in sport, how their fears aff ected them, and how they coped with their fears.All of the athletes perceived failure as outcome oriented, such as losing, not winning, or getting beaten. The athletes described their coping strategies as mental disengagement, try not to let fear of failure affect them, become quiet and seek isolation, not talking about fear of failure, humor, chilling out, positive self-talk, positive reinterpretation, lowering goals, seeking emotional social support, increasing effort to prevent failure, and confronting their fears. All of the athletes that were interviewed identified with mental disengagement.Although, not all of the strategies identified are effective responses to the fear of failure. For example, increasing effort to prevent failure included increased training by athletes. Increased training can lead to overtraining, a possible source of burnout, which could accidentally lead to athletes’ withdrawal of the sport. Despite the fact that some of the athletes viewed increase d training as a positive outcome of fear of failure, increased training may not be an effective response to fear of failure. Therefore, athletes engaged in both effective and ineffective coping strategies to deal with the effects of failure before competition.Individuals high in fear of failure utilize self-regulatory strategies that can be harmful to their athletic performance, well being, and interpersonal behavior (Sagar 2009). Therefore, Sagar created a study to investigate whether fear of failure predicts antisocial behavior in the university and sport contexts, and whether sex compromises this prediction. Sagar interviewed 176 male students and 155 female students from 2 British universities, with an average age of 20. 11 years. The athletes had been competing for their schools for an average of 1. 80 years.Sagar used three different analyses to measure fear of failure antisocial behavior in sport, and antisocial behavior in university. The study showed, on average, antisocial university behavior occurred rarely for males and never to rarely for females, whereas antisocial behavior in sport occurred rarely to sometimes for males and rarely for females. The strongest fear reported for both sexes was experiencing shame and embarrassment. The weakest fear reported by males was the fear of devaluing one’s self estimate and for females the weakest fear reported was important others losing interest.Further analysis of fear of failure revealed that several significant differences occurred between male and females, but there was not a significant difference between sexes involving antisocial behavior. The study shows that fear of failure may contribute to more frequent student engagement in antisocial behavior in the university and sport contexts. The fact that males are more competitive and have a greater desire to win could explain the sex differences within the fear of failure. Thus, this study suggests that fear of failure might increase the frequency of antisocial behavior.The tendency to approach success is a function of the person’s motive to approach success as well as the situational factors (Gill 2008). Most athletes that participate in sports do so, because they want to achieve something. Although, to be able to achieve something, you must get past a fear of failure. Researching aspects of motivations regarding orientations and achievement can further understand how an athlete deals with fear of failure. In general, someone that is task oriented, rather than outcome oriented will have less fears of failure (Weinberg & Gould 2007).Focusing on personal performance can lead to greater control, more motivation, and less fear of failure. A task-oriented person has high perceptions of their own competence, so it is easier for them to feel good about themselves and not worry about failure. Those who are outcome oriented have lower perceptions of their competence. Therefore, they are more likely to give less effort to prot ect their self worth. Martin and Marsh (2003) concluded that fear of failure may be viewed as a friend or a foe, â€Å"a friend of sorts, but not a very good one†¦ [or as] a foe, but with some self-protective advantages. Research surrounding all aspects is still not extensive enough to draw strong conclusions about how fear or failure develops or how to treat fear of failure. Although, ignoring fear of failure and the problems associated with fear of failure could have negative consequences for individuals in achievement settings. Researchers should be encouraged to continue studying the coping behaviors of athletes in various age groups and investigate how people who play important roles in the lives and in the development of young elite athletes contribute to their development of fear of failure.Further research will inform prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and possibly the treatment of fear of failure in sports. References Conroy, D. E. , (2004). The unique psychological m eanings of multidimensional fears of failing. Journal of Clinical Sport & Exercise Psychology, 26, 484-491. Gill, D. , & Williams, L. , (2008). Motivational Orientations: Achievement and Competitiveness. Martin, A. J. , Marsh, H. W. (2003). Fear of failure: Friend of foe?. Australian Psychologist, 38, 31-38. Sagar, S. S. , Boardley, I. D. , Kavussanu, M. (2011). Fear of failure and student athletes’ interpersonal antisocial behavior in education and sport.British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 391-408. Sagar, S. S. , (2009). Fear of failure in youth sport: Building on the momentum of the new research. Sport & Exercise Psychological Review, 5, 5-15. Sagar, S. S. , Lavallee, D. , Spray, C. M. (2009). Coping with the effects of fear of failure: A preliminary investigation of young elite athletes. Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology, 3 73-98. Sagar, S. S. , Lavallee, D. , Spray, C. M. (2007). Why young athletes fear failure: Consequences of failure. Journal of Sports Sc iences, 25, 1171-1184. Weinberg, R. , Gould, D. , (2007). Motivation.
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