Music and Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music and Mind - Essay Example The infographic laid out on two axes. The horizontal axis is representing the time of the chronological events that had occurred in one day and the vertical axis is portraying the content of the event in four categories. There are vertical bars placed in each time slot, which contains each contents icon in segments. Every segment is color coordinated according to the content of the event. All the icons placed in the vertical bar show a visual representation of the activity, location and nature of the event. The experience has indeed brought to light the extent to which I am exposed to music in different aspects of life. For instance, as I listened to gospel uplifting songs in the morning as I took a shower, checked my emails and took breakfast, the uplifting music inspired me to take the day on a positive note. However, I had a different experience at 11.30 am as I listened to a catchy song albeit I could not understand the lyrics. Although I was walking the dog at this time, I found interesting music can actually be a distraction as I tried to multitask between listening to music, walking the dog, and watching out for passing vehicles and people. A sad song at midday suddenly brought sad moods to me as the same song was played at my best friend’s funeral a few years back. It is important to note how brain can store good and bad memories and retain a strong association with music (Meyer, 2008). Between 12.30 and 1.00 pm, I did not experience any form of music. However, I noted that lack of music actually helped me concentrate on a magazine I was reading during this time. At 1.30 pm, I overheard music from a class as I passed by a learning institution. Although the music was not interesting, it reminded me of good old days when we would recite the alphabet using songs in kindergarten. At this point, I came to reckon that music can be used to enhance the brain to understand

Critically evaluate the potential of the city of Palma as a center for Essay

Critically evaluate the potential of the city of Palma as a center for city break tourism - Essay Example In Europe, this progress is set apart by the surfacing of low-fare carriers, for example, a wide variety of the city-break day trips. Globally, an ever-increasing numeral of people takes trips to distant or peripheral destinations, often for a considerably short period of time. Touring Palma is pleasant any time of the year. Spring (April to mid-June) is generally the best. September is also good but can get rain. In a winter, city breaks in Palma and country stays, especially in the plains towards (watch for the almond blossoms), make for a great escape. For Tourism to survive, focus should shift on its aspect, that is, the role of the local population, and show how it is likely to influence demand, especially a volatile demand; the way they endure, or accept or support enthusiasm. Introduction In developed countries, an increasing number of individuals pursue lifestyles that are no longer need-driven (for instance, satisfying basic needs such as food), but that are motivated by the need for esteem and status or experiences for a classification by ‘values and lifestyles’. Discussed herein are submarkets of tourism. City Break Tourism There exist different kinds of sub-markets within tourism; one of this sub markets is city-break tourism. By definition, city-break Tourism, a City Break can be regarded as a short vacation to a city. The arrangements may be a package of accommodation and transport. Alternatively, city-break tourism can be described as an journey to a city with one night accommodation, usually with a sightseeing program, which may be optional or included in the price (Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2008). Unfortunately, this definition does not take account of the growing popularity of low-cost ‘basic’ air flights which many people book as City Break, making accommodation arrangements themselves. Furthermore, City Break tourism is often sold in weekend packages, and special interest tourism, for example, addressing young tourist gr oups mainly coming for a party holiday, is policies with the main aim to overcome the short summer season. While not comprehensive, this list of types of breaks illustrate that there are both domestic and international. Tourism in industrialized countries has changed considerably in recent years, with a trend towards more frequent, but shorter trips to far distant places. In Europe, this progress is set apart by the surfacing of low-fare carriers, for example, a wide variety of the city-break day trips. Globally, an ever-increasing numeral of people takes trips to distant or peripheral destinations, often for a considerably short period of time. Clearly, these expansions remain smooth the progress of by air travel over the earlier 45 years, has transformed from a lavish form of mobility for the well-off few into a contemporary form of ‘hyper-mobility’ (Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2008). Hyper-mobility, defined here as mobility that is frequent and often long-distance, is a res ult of the growing network of airports, perceived cheap fares, better education, higher income and a lot of leisure stage, including prospects to depart from work for an extended period of time. One of the fastest growing sectors in tourism is the international City Break market. Furthermore, tourists are prepared to travel further and further for a short break. Major cities provide destinations for

The Verification Principle Essay Example for Free

The Verification Principle Essay Throughout the years, science has been a very productive practice. From explaining why and how things happen to sending people to the moon. Not only do we see its benefits every day, but also new discoveries are being made constantly. Science has proven its success. By using the scientific method and critical thinking, a wide range of things have been discovered. One cannot say the same for philosophy. Many of the questions that were asked by the very first philosophers are still being contemplated and debated over today. Some philosophers thought that in order to make philosophy as successful as science that they would need to adopt a method such as the scientific method. Thus, the Verification Principle came to be. The philosophers with this idea that philosophy needs to be successful, like science, were the logical positivists. These philosophers had a â€Å"scientific envy,† wanting to make philosophy more scientific. Their method to become more â€Å"scientific† was to create the Verification Principle. It states that â€Å"A statement is cognitively meaningful if and only if it is either analytic or in principle empirically verified. They thought that if something cannot be verified analytically or by experiment, then there is no need to debate about it. To understand this principle, one must understand some of the key terms and concepts in it. Something can be described as cognitively meaningful if it can be found to be true or false. Therefore, a statement must have a truth-value. According to the Verification Principle, in order to find if something is true or false, it must be analytic or in principle empirically verified. Something is analytic if it can be found by mathematical means or by using logic. Twenty divided by two equals twenty-two is an example of an analytical statement. Whether the statement that twenty divided by two equals twenty-two is correct, or not, by using mathematical reasoning, the answer can be found to be true or false. Another example of an analytical statement would be as follows: â€Å"A guitar is a musical instrument, and musical instruments sound beautiful. Thus, a guitar sounds beautiful. † Since the argument flows in a logical pattern, the statement is said to be analytic, and therefore, also cognitively meaningful. The last part of the Verification Principle states that a cognitively meaningful statement must be in principle empirically verified. For something to be in principle empirically verified, it must be able to be, in theory, proven experimentally. For instance, the statement, â€Å"Hell is located in the core of Earth,† can be empirically verified. Although it has not yet been proven or disproven, theoretically it could be. Although challenging, I am sure, but eventually we could somehow get a person, or group of people, to dig deep enough and then see if our core is in fact â€Å"Hell. A new and revised Verification Principle would be as follows: A statement can be found to be true or false if and only if it can be found using mathematical reasoning, logic, or if it can be found in principle experimentally. If a statement is not found to have a truth-value using any of these methods, then it is said to be cognitively meaningless, and consequently, does not need to be discussed. The statement that â€Å"God exists† would be considered cognitively meaningless. It cannot be proven mathematically, or logically, that God exists. Nor can it be proven with any type of experiment. Since it is cognitively meaningless, there is no need to debate God’s existence. According to the Verification Principle, many philosophical concepts and questions no longer need to be discussed. One relevant subject, that would be deemed cognitively meaningless, is Ethics. Many if not all statements, or questions, in Ethics cannot be determined analytically or empirically verified. As such, Ethics should no longer be discussed. Whether a person murdering in the name of patriotism or defending one’s own life is ethical, is pointless to debate because it has no truth-value. A mathematician cannot figure out using a formula whether these acts of murder are ethical. Neither can a person use logic to find the answer. It would be absurd to think that a person could determine the answer to the question using an experimental method. Ethics in general, becomes pointless to discuss. Many have objected to the Verification Principle since many things, are considered cognitively meaningless, but do require attention and discussion. Axiology, which asks the question â€Å"What are values,† is completely â€Å"cognitively meaningless† under the principle. Some would say that this could not be correct since values are imperative. Values create a sense of character, personality, and meaning. Surely, we should not just throw out the whole study of what our values are because the answer to the questions cannot be found analytically or by experiment. David Hume brings up a valid point that contradicts the Verification Principle, stating that the principle itself is self-contradicting. Hume points out that science relies on principles that cannot pass the Verification Principle. By the logical positivists trying to mirror the success of science, they created a principle that even the principles of science do not pass. One such principle is the Principle of Induction. This principle, in crude terms, states that the future will resemble the past. According to the Verification Principle, this statement is cognitively meaningless. Once again, neither mathematics nor logic can be used to determine a truth-value to this statement. It also cannot be proven in principle by experiment. Since we are always in the present or looking back into the past, we cannot say that the future will resemble the past, but science bases its rules, theories, and discoveries on this principle. Another scientific principle that does not pass the Verification Principle is the Principle of Universal Causation. It states, also crudely, that every event has a cause. Since there is no way to experimentally determine that every event that has ever happened, or will happen, has a cause, it is cognitively meaningless. Hence, if the Verification Principle is correct, then science itself is cognitively meaningless and does not need to be debated nor discussed. In my opinion, the Verification Principle is not a valid basis on which to determine whether a subject should be discussed or not. Many things, such as ethics, need to be discussed. If we chose to follow the guidelines of the principle, there would be no need to discuss ethics. This would in turn eventually cause people to forget what ethics or an ethical judgment is. There would be no sense of what is good or bad; only who has the bigger gun. Society would be reduced to animals, though we are already close to that point. By people discussing ethics, and ethical judgments, though we may never reach a conclusion or agreement on some aspects of the subject, we choose to not forget about what is just and that there is a difference between right and wrong. Though philosophy may not have all too much to show for all of its work, at least if compared to science, then at the very least it causes people to think for themselves and to not forget about things which are important to human nature. Such things as religion, ethics, values, and creativity are all important to us as humans. If using the Verification Principle, all such things would be â€Å"cognitively meaningless. † In a way, it is the things that are â€Å"cognitively meaningless† that are more important than the â€Å"cognitively meaningful. They are what define us and not only set us apart from all other species, but also from each other. In conclusion, the Verification Principle was a way for some philosophers to make philosophy successful much like science. The principle states that â€Å"A statement is cognitively meaningful if and only if it is either analytical or in principle empirically verified. † Many things in philosophy, such as Ethics, in this sense are â€Å"cognitively meaningless† and should not be discussed. David Hume pointed out that science is based on principles that do not pass the Verification Principle and is therefore â€Å"cognitively meaningless. To be fair, the Verification Principle was a poor attempt to try to put a value on the success of philosophy. The greatness of philosophy though, is that it is not based solely on numbers, logic, and experiments, but also on critical thinking. It is that aspect of philosophy that sets humankind apart from the rest of the animals on Earth. Although some of the questions of philosophy may never be solved, the true success of philosophy is that it causes people to think and to search for answers instead of accepting what they have always â€Å"known† as truth.

Acute Stress Disorder Rehabilitation

Acute Stress Disorder Rehabilitation â€Å"Up to 65 per cent of Australians are likely to experience or witness an event which threatens their life or safety† (19). Quite often trauma victims can recover by their own. However, with others it may have a negative reaction to a traumatic event which can then lead to an illness called Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) (16). This disorder is associated with mental and physical conditions combined thus causing reductions in a person’s quality of life and as a consequence includes economic burdens (12). (3) Due to the result of all the accumulating evidence, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – fifth edition (DSM-5) has marked and modified goals and criteria for ASD. Under new criteria, ASD diagnosis will no longer predict chronic Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It will help to identify more severely affected survivors of trauma prior a diagnosis of PTSD can be made. Furthermore, the acuity people will perhaps get benefit from earlier interventions and sho rt-term rehabilitation programs that are the great help in the recovery process. Early rehabilitation interventions, including self-care strategy, thought control strategy, and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) would speed up recovery and prevent chronic longer term problems. Besides that, family members, clinicians, and social support networks play an important role in support mechanism for recovery process. Inaddition, some potential barriers are also discussed in predicting of new problems and relapse which may occur in order to manage them. Potential recovery According to (2) DSM-5 in 2013, ASD was relocated in Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders. ASD is a psychological and physical shock which usually appears in response to a traumatic event in a person’s life. The acutely traumatized person can be directly exposed to or be the witness of a traumatic events such as serious accident (21%), physical assault (19%), rape or witnessing a mass shooting (50%) or natural disaster (10%)(19). (9) Symptoms of ASD occur immediately right after the trauma, and it lasts for more than 2 days and less than 1 month (4). The victim usually suffers from anxiety, distress, intense fear, helplessness, avoidance behaviours or re-experience the event (16). (15) It has been recorded that 15% to 45% of children and adolescents directly experience to at least one traumatic event. There is no statistics of how many distressed people can fully recover due to these traumas; however in many studies it has been confirmed that ASD patients can have a full rec overy under appropriate treatments. This study strongly emphasis on ASD rehabilitation rather than attempting to predict subsequent PTSD. Due to ASD timeframe is short, many victims are usually been ignored. Particularly, children and adolescent are in high risk of developing PTSD which leads to long-term psychological sequel in their life and causes a burden on health care systems. Therefore, (15) highlighted that recognizing ASD symptoms is an important step in toward enhancing intervention in the right time and speed up the recovery process. Additionally, with a formal diagnosis, it will allow highly distressed people to claim compensations from the health care service and payment for recovery treatment (4). In order to get appropriate diagnosis and early intervention, physicians play a critical role for assessments and monitoring all physical and psychological symptoms. Recovery process Whenever a referral from a physician has been made, the traumatized patients will go through a rehabilitation process. This process needs self-care strategy, thought control strategy, and CBT to support patients’ recovery and to decrease the future incidence of PTSD. (7) With self-care strategies, it focuses on personal strengths and their own judgment. Whether any kind of psychotherapies are provided to traumatic people, they should rely on their own recovery ability first. Without their own effort, all the supports will become ineffective. Traumatic patients, then, will receive reassurance and support, such as simple information and advices on self-care to overcome the normal recovery process. However, if the person cannot scope with these extremely severe events, and express a prolonged distress, or interfere with daily activities, they will need to be referral to another level of psychotherapy. Currently, it has been found that thought control strategy is an acceptable strategy for managing trauma related distress in the short term rehabilitation. Use of thought control strategy will aim to reduce the emotional distress by sharing the traumatic stories in the unforgettable period of time (14). There are four components (worry, distraction, social element and re-appraisal) which are the most commonly used to focus on helping the patient to normalize reactions to trauma (22). The first being Worry/Stress, it is best trying to get the patient to not concentrate on the stressful thought itself. Encouraging the patient to try and replace worry or stress with other day to day concerns that may hold a more minor bearing. The second is distraction. Finding a healthy distraction could be simple as think about things that provide a positive feeling or immerse the patient in an activity that is pleasurable. This will stop the patient concentrating on the traumatic event and allow them to go about a daily routine. The third would be social elements that could help. This could be asking or speaking with friends about their thoughts and how they have dealt with such events in their lives. Asking about what worked for them or what may have helped them avoid concentrating on the stressful event. This would be discussed fully so that the patient could reflect and understand how this could apply to their situation. The fourth is re-appraisal, trying and interpreting their feelings and understanding why these things are affecting them emotionally and rationalize their reactions to these feelings. From here they should challenge the validity of their emotions and feelings in order to control positive or negative feelings. If these self-care strategy and thought control strategy still have not worked well for recovery, CBT would be the next step of treatment in rehabilitation. (12) CBT will be given in five therapy sessions this comprising prolonged exposure (PE) and cognitive restructuring (CR). (12) found that these sessions provide brief forms of treatment in reducing acute symptoms of ASD in the initial month after trauma exposure. (8) PE focuses in emotional processing of thoughts. It helps interrupt and reserve recovery process by blocking cognitive and behavioral avoidance. This is accomplished through in vivo and imaginal expose. Vivo exposure involves repeatedly activities and situations that are avoided because of trauma. Overtime, the patient can reduce distressing emotion and fear. Then, they can cope effectively through these distresses. Imaginal exposure is related to repeatedly describe the event aloud in details, then recording. After that, they listen to their record in order to help t hem to realize their coping skill. Following initial assessment, patients were informed that they would be reassessed after 6 weeks Support mechanism Besides psychotherapy in rehabilitation process and early supportive care structure being delivered is an important step which supports the recovery process. Its result last long in reductions of ASD symptoms. Supportive care deliverers are family members, physician or social support network will help the traumatic patient go though the acute phase. (17on) In most cases, family members usually ask for advices on how to help their love in stressful situation. This will let the family to be able to utilize a communal experience in order to enhance the therapeutic growths. The use of positive family members has also been shown effectively assisted their traumatic member to manage their stressful conditions. They provide support, love and reinforce coping strategy with the trauma. The individual does not feel isolated, but also they feel warm and being caring. The individual, therefore, can describe what happened and how they response though this hard time. However in some cases family sometimes is not enough to support traumatic patients. If the trauma patients and their family feel unable to cope with this traumatic event, they can seek professional help from a physician such as an Australian Psychological Society (APS) psychologist. An APS psychologist will help the severe distress people to understand and manage the symptoms associated with the trauma. An APS psychologist would develop effective coping strategies for affected individual as well as their family to support the recovery process (18). If not, traumatic people also seek help from social support network such as Beyondblue, Sane or Mental Health organizations. Beyondblue is a support service designed to support, give advice and create actions. Whatever the situation is, Beyondblue always listens to their distress stories and share their misfortune. Beyondblue members can really help patients come to terms with their illness and help them to move forward (23). Similarly, Th e Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health is a not-for-profit organization which its aim to reduce the impact of trauma causing to the victims. They connect the capability of individual’s family with their organizations within the community. Therefore, they can understand about the traumatic victims, then, help them to prevent and recover from the adverse mental health effects of trauma. Barrier : wrong diagnosis, overwhelm with treatment, comorbid psychiatric disorders Due to a shorten timeframe of ASD, there appear some barriers which prevent the recovery process such as late diagnosis, overwhelmed treatments. Besides that some will subsequently develop comorbid psychiatric disorders. In case of traumatic events happen, the victims are late identified. Then, they will receive some simple advices how to overcome that situations. They are supposed to recover on their own. However, there are still significant people who cannot go through this recovery process by themselves. They need help from physicians to be assessed in order to receive a formal diagnosis. This process somehow is taken time which lead to a late diagnosis. If this is too late for appropriate treatment of stress disorder, it will develop further into PTSD. Furthermore, without this proper diagnosis, traumatic patients will not get the benefit from standard rehabilitation treatments (4). This problem can be predicted by the role of physicians who can manage clinical judgments in order to give their patient an early diagnosis. For those patients who have received treatments within hours or days after an acute trauma incident, they sometime do not response well to treatment plan due to overwhelm of different interventions. They will present a psychosocial and environment difficulties related to problems such as agitation, emotional pain, and dissociation. Quickly treatment but also slowly explanation and monitoring the response from patients will enhance effective support to recovery process. With patients that respond positively and appear to be recovered from ASD, they sometimes sudden relapse when new event happen to their life. They suffer from fear about safety for themselves as well as their family. The relapse can be recognized by close family members who help the patients to report it to physician in order to get continual treatment (17). Treatment of ASD is usually focused on its specific symptoms. However, some subsequently develop with ASD might be appear such as depression, withdrawal, shame or drug and alcohol abuse, and even suicidal behavior (17). The comorbid psychiatric disorders occur due to the inability scoping with that such traumatic events. These occurssing will significantly affect the recovery process; therefore, it is a requirement for careful attention in both pharmacologically and psychotherapeutically. The patient at high risk of suicide or drug and alcohol abuse should be highlighted during initial assessment. It is necessary to evaluate this potential harm which gets into the treatment pathway and the recovery process. Conclusions In conclusion, (4) the criteria set for ASD in DSM-V will allow identifying the people who had negative reaction to a traumatic event. Because of the short duration, it is necessary to assess severe traumatic people as quickly as possible. Then, they can receive an appropriate diagnosis in order to get benefit from rehabilitation treatments. Having an early treatment will move towards healing and recovery process. Moreover, as a result of suffering both physical and psychological conditions, these fragile people require a high level of support from family member, physicians as well as social support network to be back to normal life.

Breaking of Taboo Essay -- Literacy Analysis

The Breaking of Taboo Adrienne Rich was a very critically acclaimed and widely read poet of her era. Ms. Rich was a rebellious pioneer in expressing her viewpoint through her poetry in what was considered highly taboo topics of her time, such as, politics, lesbianism, and feminism. Adrienne Rich was born on May 16, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland .Her father was renowned pathologist at John Hopkins University, Dr. Arnold Rich, and her mother Helen Elizabeth Rich, was a concert pianist and composer. Adrienne began writing at a very early age, with the encouragement of her father. As a child she grew up reading works from her fathers extensive library from Tennyson, Keats, Arnold. Blake. Rossetti. Swinburne, Carlyle, and Patter (Booth). Adrienne attended college at A. B. Radcliffe College, and graduated in 1951. In her final year at Radcliffe, her collection, A Change of World, was selected by, W. H. Auden for the Yale Series of Younger Poets award. In 1953 Adrienne married Alfred Conrad, an economics professor at Harvard, whom she had meet while she was an undergraduate student at Harvard. During their marriage they had three children, David, Paul, and Jacob. In the mid- 60’s Adrienne became very involved in Vietnam anti war protests, feminist, and civil right issues. As time went on Alfred thought she was losing her mind because of the obsession and devotion she had to these causes. This created quite a bit of tension in their marriage. In 1970 she separated from Alfred, which lead to his suicide a few months later. Rich’s early works were very traditional and structured. Her style mirrored the poets who she read extensively as a child. As Rich progressed in her writings, her styled changed drastically. Rich took on a dialogue... ... J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. 876. Print. Brown, Maressa. "6 Powerful Adrienne Rich Quotes Every Woman Should Read." The Stir, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Meredith, May. "Adrienne Rich: 1929-2012 / Feminist poet turned personal into political." San Francisco Chronicle (10/1/2007 to present) 29 Mar. 2012: A1. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. Rich, Adrienne, comp. Twenty-One Love Poems. 2nd. Emeryville, Ca.: Effie's Press, 1977. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Rich, Adrienne. Collected Early Poems 1950-1970. 1st. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993. 419. Print. Rich, Adrienne. Dark Fields of the Republic 1991-1995. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995 3. Print. Schuduel, Matt. "Adrienne Rich, feminist poet who wrote of politics and lesbian identity, dies at 82." 28 Mar. 2012, n. p. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Breaking of Taboo Essay -- Literacy Analysis The Breaking of Taboo Adrienne Rich was a very critically acclaimed and widely read poet of her era. Ms. Rich was a rebellious pioneer in expressing her viewpoint through her poetry in what was considered highly taboo topics of her time, such as, politics, lesbianism, and feminism. Adrienne Rich was born on May 16, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland .Her father was renowned pathologist at John Hopkins University, Dr. Arnold Rich, and her mother Helen Elizabeth Rich, was a concert pianist and composer. Adrienne began writing at a very early age, with the encouragement of her father. As a child she grew up reading works from her fathers extensive library from Tennyson, Keats, Arnold. Blake. Rossetti. Swinburne, Carlyle, and Patter (Booth). Adrienne attended college at A. B. Radcliffe College, and graduated in 1951. In her final year at Radcliffe, her collection, A Change of World, was selected by, W. H. Auden for the Yale Series of Younger Poets award. In 1953 Adrienne married Alfred Conrad, an economics professor at Harvard, whom she had meet while she was an undergraduate student at Harvard. During their marriage they had three children, David, Paul, and Jacob. In the mid- 60’s Adrienne became very involved in Vietnam anti war protests, feminist, and civil right issues. As time went on Alfred thought she was losing her mind because of the obsession and devotion she had to these causes. This created quite a bit of tension in their marriage. In 1970 she separated from Alfred, which lead to his suicide a few months later. Rich’s early works were very traditional and structured. Her style mirrored the poets who she read extensively as a child. As Rich progressed in her writings, her styled changed drastically. Rich took on a dialogue... ... J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. 876. Print. Brown, Maressa. "6 Powerful Adrienne Rich Quotes Every Woman Should Read." The Stir, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Meredith, May. "Adrienne Rich: 1929-2012 / Feminist poet turned personal into political." San Francisco Chronicle (10/1/2007 to present) 29 Mar. 2012: A1. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. Rich, Adrienne, comp. Twenty-One Love Poems. 2nd. Emeryville, Ca.: Effie's Press, 1977. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Rich, Adrienne. Collected Early Poems 1950-1970. 1st. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993. 419. Print. Rich, Adrienne. Dark Fields of the Republic 1991-1995. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995 3. Print. Schuduel, Matt. "Adrienne Rich, feminist poet who wrote of politics and lesbian identity, dies at 82." 28 Mar. 2012, n. p. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.

Who Do You Choose the Major of English to Study?

There are 1,500,000,000 people in the world speak English, and 1,000,000,000 people are learning it while 75% of the world’s letters and postcards are written in English. Despite China, the United States is still a leader in technical innovation and economic development. English is used in the United States and in each of these fields. English is the language of maritime communication and international air traffic control, and it is used even for internal air traffic control in countries where it is not a native language. Most commodities such as silver, gold, and hard currency are traded in English. Throughout the world, many professional papers are published in English. Even papers that are published in other languages often have abstracts in English. English is used in government and as a medium of communication among people who do not have another language in common. English is the language of technology, especially high technology like computer science, genetics, and medicine. If you’re going to read about technology, you’ll probably have to do it in English. We can watch international television networks, such as CNN International and NBC. They broadcast news much faster, and more professionally, than smaller, national networks, and you can watch them everywhere in the world. In terms of academic, English is the language most commonly spoken by academics worldwide. Of course, some important research and work occurs in all countries and in a variety of languages, but the vast majority tends to have been conducted, composed and published with the English language as its basis. Academics and scholars that have some knowledge of English frequently find that sharing their ideas and findings with their peers globally is more eadily facilitated by their mastery of the English language. We can communicate with foreigners easily if we can speak English. When we go abroad, it is very useful for us to compete with other people in studying, and all international conference and competitions are conducted in English, so we need to be well with English to join in order to win. It is also the major international language of communicat ion in such areas as science, technology, business and mass entrainment. English makes us more easily to travel around the world, because more than 100 countries spoken in English. We can ask for direction, have a conversation, ask for help, and who knows, maybe English will save our life someday. Tours are almost always available in English. Even in countries where few people speak English on the street, people who work with tourists generally speak English. In some countries even drivers of buses or streetcars and sellers at newsstands speak English well. English is important to get access to knowledge Today’s media such as the Internet, Television, and the press give you almost unlimited access to knowledge about your favorite subject, and it all are in English, so you need to be well with English. You can read also  Similarities and Conflicts in † a Streetcar Named Desire† That’s over billion pages of information are in English, so if you want to get any information in the internet you need to know English. On other hand, English is a language that can be used in many parts of the world since the schools nowadays are likely to have English as the first or second language or have educated people who would know the basics of English. When we study at University, we need to be well with English because all document are written in English. If we want to research new lessons or documents in internet, you need to know how to use computer, and in computer everything are in English. English document are billions, and it explains very clear, so it can improve our knowledge. We can make our computer skill more effectively when we know English, because most computer applications are in English, so we will understand them better and become better employee. Five thousand newspapers, over half of the newspapers that published in the world, are published in English. Even in many countries where English is not the main language, there is at least one newspaper in English. In India, there are three thousand magazines were published in English. English Major is study about cultures, literatures, and physiology. So we will get a lot of knowledge about cultures, literatures, and physiology of other country in Asia, Europe, the United States, etc†¦ Especially, when we’re skillful of English we can get a scholarship from school or the United Stated of America to study abroad. English is very important for job opportunity Today. All companies need their workers know at least on language, especially English. In some international companies, every person have to know English well. English is the primary language of business throughout the world. Most international business transactions, including email, memos, reports and contracts, are written in English. If we are interested in advancing in the business world, English is a key to success. Most countries in some way will do business with English speaking countries. As well, English has become the international language of business and is often used as a neutral language for business between various countries. It is now common for an engineer in Mexico to get echnical support in English from an expert in China. With English you can communicate with technicians and experts from the United States in order to help your company. You can also communicate with business people from other countries in the neutral language of English. Companies are also recognizing the value of English and now pay more for employees who can speak English. Knowing English will open the door to many new and exciting jobs in countries all over the world. As well, you will be able to obtain jobs in your own country because you can speak English. Your resume will be stronger because you are bilingual and have a knowledge of the English language. Your opportunities will be numerous when you can speak and read English. English speakers in the world earn more money than non-English speakers. Being a good writer is one of the top ten most important skills that job candidates are encouraged to have in order to be competitive in the job market. Companies are looking for good writers, and there’s no question that English majors heading out into the workforce have this skill in the bag. It’s nearly impossible to succeed as an English major without being a good writer. Moreover, students choosing this major probably really like writing. When you like something, you do it more often and the more you do something, the better you become. English majors tend to be overall successful communicators, which is why it makes sense that so many of us go on to work in media and communication. The major provides individuals with the critical thinking and public speaking skills required to excel in these positions. Even if you aren’t planning to work in communications, the argument has been made that oral communication competency is the most important skill for business students in the workplace. It may also go without saying that having keen communication skills is absolutely necessary in order to be a good manager in the workforce. Finally, Major of English have a lot of advantages for us, English give us a good job opportunity, high salary job, high position at work place, and provided us a good standard of living. In short, English is very important for me and everybody.

Comparison of the Theories of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on Religion

Abstract This paper examines the works of Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim on religion, looking at how both theorists essentially viewed religion as serving an integral role in human culture. In particular, this essay considers how both theorist consider religious believers to be mistaken in their ontological beliefs, and the rational causes for this. Introduction While both Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim are concerned with the study of human behaviour as it relates to culture, each does so from within distinct traditions. In terms of religion, Freud’s approach belongs to the psychological tradition, while Durkheim puts forward a sociological approach. In the Freudian view, human behaviour is largely driven by inborn and intangible â€Å"drives†, working in the unconscious. Such phenomena are not directly observable, that is, they are non-empirical; they must consequently be inferred, and as such are conjectural. Durkheim’s sociological method, on the other hand, utilises direct empirical observations of social phenomena (rites, rituals, customs, et cetera), looking to account for the impetus behind and purpose of group behaviour. Hence Freud is concerned with obscure, intangible internal phenomena, whereas Durkheim is concerned with overt and tangible external phenomena. Evidently, the theoretical positions in question to a degree divide between internal and external motivations. Different Routes to the Core of a Delusion Durkheim posits a direct connection between environmental variables, the way groups interact with such variables, and how this interaction is perceived by individual members of said group. There is a mode of cyclical reflexivity in this dynamic: this means people â€Å"living together in society generate rules which are felt by any individual member as acting on him from outside, as having a force which he feels as both uplifting and constraining† (Scharf 1970, 151). This force, Durkheim argues, is an externalisation of conventions peculiar to the group; that are perceived as exogenous but which are in fact endogenous. This tendency to externalise, Durkheim suggests, derives from the natural human desire to ascribe meaning to experience, to seek a pattern in the natural order. Thus, as Kunin states, religion likewise â€Å"is an externalisation of society and its order† and speaks to the â€Å"dialectic relationship between the individual and society† (2003, 82). Religion, then, provides for an externalised object onto which collective emotion can be projected; this is ultimately reflexive because the externalisation at root represents the people themselves. As a result, to honour religious custom is indirectly to honour the group. This is why for Durkheim religious experience serves to strengthen group cohesion and bonding. Freud’s understanding of religion is somewhat pejorative. Connolly observes that Freud noticed â€Å"the connection between abnormal psychological conditions and religion† (1991, 146): which observation he expanded upon in his study â€Å"Obsessive acts and Religious Practices† (1907). As the paper’s title suggests, Freud drew a connection between psychological abnormality and religious practice, noting a resemblance between â€Å"what are called obsessive acts in neurotics and those religious observances by means of which the faithful give expression to their piety† (17). In turn, Fre ud perceived religion, like neurosis, as symptomatic of deep-seated psychological issues. In the words of Gallucci, â€Å"Freud saw religion as a collective neurotic symptom, an obsessional neurosis† (2001, 76). This â€Å"neurosis†, according to psychoanalytic theory, comes about as a defence mechanism against feelings of helplessness which obtain in a dispassionate cosmos. Hence the need for a cosmic father figure, who, as a parent comforts the child, palliates the religious subject with conciliatory notions (about purpose, meaning, boundaries, rewards, and so on). This entire dynamic apparently stems from Oedipal anxieties, where â€Å"each person grows up with a sense of foreboding toward a father figure who is both feared and loved†; this, it follows, â€Å"becomes the basis for the cosmic father figure, who offers protection and salvation but in the meantime needs to be appeased by devotion and sacrifice† (Clarke 2002, 43). In Freud’s mind, r eligion therefore constitutes a surrogate parent. On the surface, Freud and Durkheim proffer two seemingly quite different explanations for religion. Importantly, while these theories are not overtly complementary, nor are they mutually exclusive. Indeed, significant parallels may be drawn between each approach. For example, both both theorists argued that religion is an important factor in community cohesion (Scharf 1970, 155); both agree that â€Å"religion is central to any cultural analysis† (Ginsburg and Pardes 2006, 220); and, thus, both hold that â€Å"that the cognitive roots of religious belief are to be found in social experience† (Spiro 1987, 202). These similarities are significant and, moreover, point to one common determinant: that the underlying basis of religious convictions are contrary to what believers suppose. For Durkheim, the real driving force behind religion is social cohesion; for Freud, the impetus is psychological assuagement. In either case, social unity and mental wellbeing obtain, only for slightly different conceptual reasons. From the above, one might argue that Freud and Durkheim share significant overarching perspectives on religion while holding markedly different structural viewpoints on how and why religion functions. Freud is concerned with psychological structures; Durkheim with sociological structures. Freud believes religion works to console believers from the ultimate anxiety of a meaningless cosmos. Durkheim believes religion provides for a canvas on which social phenomena can be externalised and then re-accommodated as an exogenous entity. Again, both modes of behaviour essentially work to the same purpose: instilling a sense of meaning in human life. At this stage, one might consider the ways in which Freudian theory could compensate for shortfalls in the work of Durkheim and vice versa. For instance, Durkheim offers little in the way of early psychological developmental insights, into the religious pr ocess; yet there is no reason that early anxiety (of an Oedipal nature) could not cohere with Durkheimian ideas. Indeed, such anxiety and the consequent potential for neurosis could suggest an even greater need for group cohesion: as a way of reifying the delusion through consensus, thus alleviating the anxiety. Again, this would chime with Durkheim’s understanding that religion is â€Å"a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things [. . .] which unite in one single moral community called a Church† (cited in Gain 2010, 39). By the same token, Freud’s limitations could perhaps be overcome with reference to some of Durkheim’s insights. Scharf notes a â€Å"weakness of Freudian theory† in that it â€Å"does little to explain [the] variety† in articulations of paternity and fraternity within religious discourse, advising that, here, â€Å"Durkheim’s structural approach has more value† (1970, 154). Accordingly we see that a synthesis of theoretical approaches may not only be possible but highly advantageous. Conclusion Freud and Durkheim take very different roads to arrive at more or less the same destination. For this reason, significant and consistent core elements may be identified between their works. These include the fundamental belief that religion serves an explicable, material, social purpose which is essentially external to theological concerns; that religious believers are at base mistaken in their beliefs (insomuch as these beliefs are connected to cosmic phenomena beyond the rationally explicable); that, it follows, religion is the irrational articulation of an ultimately rational cause (anxiety or clan behaviour); that religion can function as a surrogate or projection of humanity – reformed with divine auspices; and that, finally, religion is an integral element of human culture. What is fundamentally different in these two authors is their methodological priorities. Each man comes from a very distinct tradition. Put simply, Freud and Durkheim were engaged in different discipl ines; as a result, their pursuits were orientated differently The reason Freud and Durkheim’s works are compared at all is that the realms of the sociological and of the psychological possess mutual territory: the grounds of culture. Both theorists have their limitations. Durkheim can be accused of being over reductive and simplistic. Social structure may not be enough to account for every aspect of religion. Psychological, cognitive and other inborn factors may also have a large part to play. Freud, on the other hand, may place too much onus on the unconscious drives in dictating religious experience. After all, religion is so varied and complex, it might be argued, to defy any wholesale theory to explain it away. What, for example, do we make of religions in which there is no â€Å"father figure† proper; or religions which proclaim no deity at allClearly there are unanswered questions on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps a hybrid methodology that adopted a syncretic a pproach to the study of religion might help answer these questions. After all, it seems to be the case that both Freud and Durkheim arrived at crucial insights into the social and psychological determinants that drive religion. References Clarke, P. J. (2002) Explaining Philosophy and Ethics. Cheltenham: Nelson Thomas. Connolly, P. (1991) â€Å"Psychological Approaches†. In: Connolly, P. ed. Approaches to the Study of Religion. New York: Continuum, pp. 135-193. Durkheim, E. (1912). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. (J. Swain, Trans.) New York: The Free Press. Freud, S. (1907) â€Å"Obsessive Acts and Religious Practices†. In: J Strachey (ed. and trans.) Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. London: Hogarth Press. Gain, M., 2010. On Durkheim’s Rules of Sociological Method (Routledge Revivals). New York: Routledge. Gallucci, G. M., 2001. Plato and Freud: Statesmen of the Soul. Philadelphia: Xlibris. Ginsburg, R. & Pardes, L., 2006. New Perspectives on Freud’s Moses and Monotheism. Tubingen: Niemeyer. Kunin, S. D., 2003. Religion: The Modern Theories. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Scharf, B. R., 1970. â€Å"Durkheimian and Freudian Theories of Religion: The Case of Judaism†, The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 21. 2 (June), pp. 151-163. Spiro, M. E., 1987. Culture and Human Nature. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.