Abnormal Behavior Is Defined as Behavior That Is Not Normal Essay Example for Free

Abnormal Behavior Is Defined as Behavior That Is Not Normal Essay Abnormal behavior is defined as behavior that is not normal; what does that mean? How do we know if behavior is normal or not? The field of psychology uses four distinct definitions to define abnormal behavior, these are; Statistical Definition, Social Norm Deviance, Subjective Discomfort, and the Inability to Function Normally. Each of these definitions has distinct characteristics which separate each from the other. Statistical Definition is taking a mathematical approach to defining what normal behavior is and what normal behavior is not. Mathematics tells us that if the majority of the population is behaving in a certain manner then the part of the population which is behaving in a way that is different than the majority, is abnormal. We look at emotions and we observe how the majority of the population acts when they are sad, we compare the expressions they have, the words they share with other members of the population when they are sad; if one group shows more severe emotions than the other then we would say they are behaving abnormally; for instance, if when sad some individuals say they want to kill themselves we would say that is not a normal phrase that comes from someone who is sad. Social Norm Deviance closely follows statistical definition where we compare individuals to the social majority for their geographical area. I mentioned geographical area because how the social norm behaves in some parts of the world is different than how the social norm behaves in other parts of the world. Individuals in Northern Canada may be generally more depressed than individuals in Miami, Florida. The reasoning is behind Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); people in Northern Canada get less daylight then the people in Miami, Florida. Because of this I would suspect that they as a social norm are generally sadder than the social norm in Florida. If we compared the population in northern Canada to the population in Miami Florida, with respect to how sad they are, it wouldn’t be an accurate comparison, similar to comparing apples to oranges; they are both generally round but cannot be accurately compared. Subjective Discomfort is a good sign for abnormal behavior. When a person experiences emotional distress or discomfort when behaving a certain way we can assume that the behavior is not normal. I remember once I was at a bus stop in Boston and I asked one of the attendants if the bus I was next too was the correct bus to where I was going. He started hitting himself in the head and kept repeating â€Å"yes the D bus, yes the D bus† This distress he was experiencing from answering my simples question was very abnormal in my view, I can use Social Norm Deviance, also, to say that this individuals actions were not typical of those behavior exhibited by the social norm when asked a simple question. The inability to function normally is seen as a behavior which doesn’t allow a person to handle the daily activities of functionality; activities such as; walking down the street, talking to another person, not being afraid of every snake or spider that they come across. The ability to function normally, as seen by the norm of the population, is critical to living in this world. If individuals cannot function normally they will not be able to hold a job, will not be able to converse with other, they will be labeled as abnormal. Abnormal behavior is a normal part of human development, not that everyone experiences abnormal behavior but most of us experience some. Abnormal behavior such as depression, fright, and obsession are all common to the majority. When the abnormal behavior begins to affect our daily lives is when problems start to happen. The field of psychology has been studying abnormal behavior since the beginning of psychology, although huge strides have been taken to diagnose and help abnormal behavior, mankind has leaps and bounds to go until abnormal behavior can cured, if at all. ?

The diary of Francis Seyton Essay Example for Free

The diary of Francis Seyton Essay One year hath passed, twelve months I have endured the backstabbing treachery of these troubled times, which are strange beyond all comprehension, and I but a humble servant am trapped inside a conflict of conscience and valour. Many things, all alien to me have I seen or heard, my mind is in turmoil should I believe what I see? Merely a week ago brave king Macbeth was pronounced unwell. When attending a banquet he was suggesting the iniquitous and muttering words dictated by Satan in a disturbing manner. Who would have thought? The king himself. When Macbeth was crowned I swore allegiance to him and his cause. Am I a servant of the devil? I fear so. My fears were accentuated when the most tragic and appalling incident transpired. For many weeks a doctor had been attending to lady Macbeth after a maid requested her attention as she was worried for the ladys well being. I was not informed of the reasoning behind the calling of the doctor but rumours were rife. With my mind a drift believing was not necessarily seeing and therefore I could not confirm any of the circulating gossip, which could so easily be false but just as easily true. I chose to postulate the rumour, actually closer to conspiracy theory of Macbeth and lady Macbeths plot to replace Duncan whether through fair play or not to become of a royal stature, influenced by satanical forces, which will eventually lead them to exasperation. I noticed lady Macbeths rather mystifying ritual of rubbing her hands together religiously as if to be washing the, scrubbing them of her sins to a degree, I passed her chamber a few days ago to hear her say: Heres the smell of blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand, oh, oh, oh! Foul whisperings were abroad, unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles; infected minds to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets. With this and other accumulating evidence I put two and two together and came to a conclusion. Later that night I could not rest. A battle was underway in the depths of my mind, a bloody uproar against my murderous master. I could imagine only one way to rid me of the turbulent dreams distracting my sleep, to confront the demonic Queen and question her righteousness. I dressed myself in my finest robes, brilliant gold buttons and glistening silver laces, if I were to die tonight I would rather depart this ominous place presentably with self respect. I approached the chamber door, breathing erratically like the waves at sea in the most ferocious storm, crashing into my hull, untameable. The door lays ahead dare I go forth? I approach the point of no return, when I must pass through the gates of hell and conquer the foul creature Cerberus, Satans servant. The carvings on the door seem alive, the writhing serpents spitting venom, intimidating, driving me away. But I must prevail, I thrust forward grinding my teeth, clenching my fists, a raging sweat takes over my body, the adrenaline driving me toward. I fight back the serpents and place my hand on the chamber door. It is locked. I hear crying from within the room, which quietens down to a feeble murmur. I draw back and knock on the door, once, no reply, twice, silence, thrice, a blood curdling scream! Terror shoots through my veins like a galloping horse. Oh suck on my chocolate salty balls! Quickly I delve deep into my pocket and grasp my keys. Nervously I struggle to search through the brace and locate the key. Finally after what seemed like hours I set my hands on the key, and inserted it into the mortise lock. The key turned, another scream echoed through the corridor further emphasising my trepidation. I fear what lies ahead, could this be the end of my short-lived existence. I summon the curraige from the depths of my heart and continue to open the now unlocked door, the final stand lies ahead, I worry gravely but I know I must go forth. Upon opening the door I see nothing, darkness and the only thing I fear more is the light for what it may bring. Quietness now blankets the room an eerie darkness sends fear into the roots of my soul. I reach for the torch in the corner of the room, extinguished, sharing the same fate as lady Macbeth I fear. With my flint and tinderbox I strike and send a revealing light across the room. To my surprise I see the queen sat at her mirror, staring as if in a trance, vacant of reality. Preceding forward I notice makeup scattered over the floor, in a trail all the way to her seat. Looking at the mirror I see her reflection, a ruined figure with a pathetic look and makeup smudged by tears. I stop and ask myself have I the audacity to question her, I see her hurting I have reservations of whether I am insensitive enough. No, I cannot. Hoping I am unnoticed I turn, face the door and begin to walk away, regretting every stupid thought that entered my head, who am I to dispute the Queen? A mere Ill educated servant. My stupidity astounds me. I hear a sharp slicing sound from within the room, like the edge my razor, cutting the cheek as I shave in the morning, a sound that sends shivers through my spine. I turn and run towards the queen, I hear her wheezing through a self-inflicted mortal wound, leaking air, spewing blood in her throat, I hear her life escaping and quickly grasp her hand preventing her from falling from her chair. I hear her faint gargled voice trying to break through, drowning in her own blood. Tears begin to well in my eyes and a scream bursts forth from my mouth like a wolfs cry. Slowly the life in her escapes, she lies coughing, choking and I am helpless, unable to assist, I feel so worthless, where is help? For an eternity I stand with the queen dying in my arms. Blood covers the room in a viscous sheet, dark red, shining like a sheet of silk. I see the knife glinting in the dull light, blood stained on the floor, and the makeup on the queens face is ruined, ironic, what is on the outside has become what was on the inside, a broken woman. I hear footsteps, too late. As the queen draws her last breaths servants run into the room. They stand and stare at the bloody wreck of the queen and they too begin to cry, with their hands on their hearts, looking towards the floor it is obvious they are too late. Then without warning she exhales, her whole body becomes limp from head to toe, she is dead. I lift her from the chair and place her on her bed. I cannot stand to look at her pretty face stained with blood so I lift up the white sheet covering her bed and place it over her body. One of my colleagues faints and collapses on the floor, obviously overcome by the horror that fills the room. I know that eventually I must leave and give the disparaging news to my master; I fear he will not take it kindly.

The Hohfeldian Analysis Of Rights Philosophy Essay

The Hohfeldian Analysis Of Rights Philosophy Essay The concept of analyzing legal rights in a broader sense was given by Professor Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld. Professor Hohfeld was born in 1879. He graduated in 1901 from the University of California and moved to Harvard Law School. There, he served in the capacity of editor of Harvard Law Review and graduated with honors in 1904. Professor Hohfeld then taught from 1905-1913 at Stanford Law School. Later in his career, he shifted to Yale Law School. He taught at the prestigious law school until his demise in 1918  [1]  . Professor Hohfeld has contributed significantly to the field of Jurisprudence. He attempted to simplify the term right by creating an analysis that separates various core concepts in law. These core concepts were then shown to be inter-related and a framework of such relationships was construed. The analysis of the connectivity in relationships can shed light on implications of policy and decision making. Thus, his work has permitted the deconstruction of legal principles into individual elements  [2]  . Professor Hohfeld has propounded that the different meanings of the term right are often conflated in a single sentence. In any given sentence, the usage is switched several times. This lack of precision in the language subsequently indicates a lack of precision in thought and the conclusions that are derived in turn. His efforts to facilitate reasoning led him to break the meaning of rights into eight unique concepts. These terms are defined with respect to one another to eliminate the presence of any ambiguity. Four pairs of opposites and correlatives are said to exist as illustrated below  [3]  . Jural Opposites comprise of the following: 1. Right/No-Right 2. Privilege/Duty 3. Power/Disability 4. Immunity/Liability Jural Correlatives are mainly constituted by: 1. Right/Duty 2. Privilege/No-Right 3. Power/Liability 4. Immunity/Disability RIGHTS AND DUTIES What is a right? A right can be defined as an interest recognized, protected and enforced by law. Justice Strong has held The word right is defined by lexicographers to donate, among other things, property, interest, power, prerogative, immunity, privilege (Walkers Dict. word Right). In law it is most frequently applied to property in its restricted sense, but it is often used to designate power, prerogative, and privilege,  [4]   Justice Jackson  [5]  further states The words right or privilege have, of course, a variety of meanings, according to the connection or context in which they are used. Their definition, are given by standard lexicographers, include that which one has a legal claim to do, legal power, authority, immunity granted by authority, the investiture with special or peculiar rights. A man has several rights over both tangible as well as intangible objects. He also possesses rights as a person such as the right to enjoy a certain reputation, the right to not be assaulted or injured, rights in a domestic environment and rights that are related to other rights e.g. contractual rights. Certain other rights of a contractual nature may also exist such as those rendered for service e.g. master and servant, doctor and patient. Rights over intangible objects would include copyrights, patents, trademarks etc. Thus, rights can be considered as advantages or benefits that are conferred by law  [6]  . Rights can be divided into 4 different kinds: Rights in the strict sense Liberties Powers Immunities The correlatives of each of these rights are illustrated below: Duties No-Rights Liabilities Disabilities Each and every right has a corresponding duty. Duty may be defined as an internal feeling of an obligation towards someone. A duty or a legal obligation is that which one ought or ought not to do. Duty and right are correlative terms. When a right is invaded, a duty is violated.  [7]  Rights and duties are like 2 sides of a coin and always go hand in hand. Thus, right and duty are correlative. This implies that if X enjoys a right against Y, then Y is duty bound to respect this right. Rights in the strict sense can therefore, be held to be benefits, which are derived from duties imposed upon others  [8]  . Several different kinds of rights exist. These are elucidated below. The first classification is that of perfect rights and perfect duties. Rights which go along with perfect duties are known as perfect rights and perfect duties are those which not only possess legal recognition but are also, strictly enforceable. Thus, a breach would constitute some action or prosecution and the State may use reasonable force if necessary  [9]  . However, both rights and duties fall short of this perfect system  [10]  . Some examples of imperfect legal rights would include time barred claims, claims that cannot be enforced due to lack of proof, certain claims against states etc. While in all these cases, there is no cause of action yet legal recognition still exists. The principle of ubi jus ibi remedium which means where there is a right, there is a remedy, serves an exception to imperfect rights  [11]  . The second category is that of positive and negative rights. The correlative of these rights are positive and negative duties and acts performed by those in whom the duty vests determine the nature of the right. A positive act relates to a positive right whereas any abstinence from it would constitute a negative right  [12]  . A third distinction is made between rights in rem and rights in personam. Both these terms have been derived from civil law  [13]  . A right in rem is a right that exists against the entire world whereas a right in personam is against a specific individual. The right to spend my money from my wallet is a right in rem but the right to recover it from a debtor is a right in personam. Similarly, the right to exclusive enjoyment of my apartment is a right in rem whereas upon the lease of the same apartment, only a right in personam would exist against the leasee. Rights in rem are considered as negative rights whereas rights in personam are usually positive in nature  [14]  . Rights in personam are predominantly derived from the existence of personal relations whereas rights in rem offer a relation between the owner and a plethora of individuals. Thus, rights in personam are held to be paucital rights and rights in rem are multital rights. A contractual right is a paucital right as it is specifically enforceable only between the parties entering into a contract. A property right, on the other hand, is a multital right as the person has a right to exclude any and every individual. In essence, it can be said that multital rights are constituted by several, separate yet identical paucital rights  [15]  . Proprietary and personal rights form the fourth category. The former is concerned with value while the latter is not. Value, in the case of proprietary rights, is derived from assets, estate, property and so forth. Rights, therefore, which are proprietary in nature deal with monetary or economic value. On the contrary, personal rights are associated with status, reputation and welfare  [16]  . Right of not being inflicted with harm and rights in respect of domestic relationships can be called as personal rights  [17]  . Rights are also divided into jura in re propria and jura in re aliena. A right in re aliena, also termed as an encumbrance, is one which detracts from another in reference to a subject. Thus, the right is limited in its ambit with respect to the superior right. For instance, a landlords right to use the property temporarily may be restricted by a tenant. The 4 main classes that constitute jura in re aliena are servitudes, trusts, securities and leases. All other rights fall in the domain of jura in re propria  [18]  . A property owner has a jus in re propria i.e. a right over the property owned while a pledgee possesses a jus in re aliena i.e. a right over another persons property. A right is known as servient when it is subject to an encumbrance whereas the encumbrance derived is called dominant  [19]  . By subletting a property, the sublessee is conferred with a jus in re aliena by the tenant. Thus, the right of the tenant is servient with respect to the sublessee but dominant as against the landlord  [20]  . Servient and dominant rights are concomitant and may vary in their degree of coexistence. Leases, mortgages and easements are examples of the same. An opposite relationship is observed in the case of principal and accessory rights  [21]  . LIBERTY AND NO-RIGHTS Liberty is defined as the exercise of a right without the interference of law. To say that A has liberty means that A can do all that pleases because there exists no duty to refrain and at the same time, no one else can prohibit X from exercising liberty. There exists a relationship between all individuals that is woven together and held in a matrix. By collectively adding all the rights and duties across relationships, the extent and degree of liberty can be determined. The classic example of perfect liberty is one where no one has any exclusive right to prevent the occurrence of a given act  [22]  . Legal liberty encompasses a sphere within which the law leaves the individual alone. Liberty, however, does not mean interference with another e.g. liberty to voice opinion on public affairs does not grant a person the right to publish defamation. Similarly, one has the liberty to self-defense against violence but no right is conferred to engage in revenge against someone who has caused the injury. A man has a perfect right to fire off a gun, means, apparently, that a man has a freedom or liberty to fire of a gun, so long as he does not violate or infringe anyones rights in doing so, which is very different thing from a right, the violation or disturbance of which can be remedied or prevented by legal process.  [23]   In Quinn v. Leatham  [24]  , Lord Lindley has stated The plaintiff had the ordinary rights of the British subject. He was at liberty to earn his living in his own way, provided he did not violate some law prohibiting him from so doing, and provided he did not infringe the rights of other people. This liberty involved the liberty to deal with other persons who were willing to deal with him. This liberty is a right recognised by law; its correlative is the general duty of every one not to prevent the free exercise of this liberty or right to deal with others is nugatory unless they are at liberty to deal with him if they choose to do so. Any interference with their liberty to deal with him affects him. Liberty is therefore, the exercise of unrestrained activity permitted under law. The primary difference between liberty and rights in strict sense is that things I may do for myself are classified as liberty whereas things which others ought to do in my respect are classified as rights in strict sense  [25]  . Legal liberty is considered as a legal right where any interference by other persons is not justified. During the expression of ones opinions, it can be stated that other persons are legally duty bound not to curtail them. However, there exist liberties which do not enjoy the company of rights of a protective nature. Thus, a landowner, who gives a license to trespass his property, can exercise an equal right to prevent the usage of his property as much as the liberty conferred by the license granted by him. The license basically serves the purpose of making an unlawful act lawful. In Clifford v. ONeill  [26]  , the Court held A license is merely a permission to do an act which, without such permission, would amount to a trespassà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nor will the continuous enjoyment of the privilege conferred, for any period of time cause it to ripen into a tangible interest in the land affected. Similarly, a trustee has the liberty to ask for compensation from the estates beneficiaries for administration purposes. But the beneficiaries are under no duty or obligation to provide him with the same. Yet another example is that a foreigner has the liberty to enter any country of his choice but the government can exercise an equal right to prevent the individual from entering. Thus, rights when classified as liberties aid in elucidating the meaning of law  [27]  . No-right is the correlative of liberty and consequently, of no duty. It is actually a word that has been coined indicating the absence of a right. The term no-right basically implies that a certain person does not have a right against another individual in a particular respect. The evolution of this term is said to have taken place in a negative context. So, if X has the liberty to undertake a particular act, it means that Y has no-right to say that the act will not be done e.g. a trespasser has no-right to be removed with force suggesting that the occupier has complete liberty of ejection  [28]  . Another example that can be considered in the same light is that of an alien who has no duty not to enter a foreign country i.e. he has liberty to enter. By the same token, the authorities have a no-right against him i.e. they may not have any right in the strict sense though they may still possess a liberty to refrain him from entering. Cases in tort that are principally of Damnum Sine Injuria in nature i.e. incurrence of some damage without the violation of a legal right are entirely no-right situations  [29]  . POWERS AND LIABILITIES Yet another classification of legal rights can be seen in the form of powers. Several examples of powers exist. A few to name are the power to make a will, the power to sell a property if the mortgagee does not receive back the mortgage money from the mortgagor, the right of re-entry that is possessed by a landlord, the power to revoke a contract for fraud, the power to take legal action against someone, the power to punish and arraign, the power to appoint officials for fulfilling functions, the right to issue an execution in respect of a certain judgement and other such powers vested in the judiciary to meet the ends of justice  [30]  . Powers constitute interests that are legally recognized. If one possesses power, one possesses the ability to change by ones own will, the liabilities, duties, rights and any other relations of oneself or with respect to other individuals  [31]  . Powers owe some resemblance to liberties although they differ in the aspect that the act so performed need not be innocent. The power to create a will does not imply that no wrong is done in the process. It does not mean that a will is made innocently, it simply implies that a right to create an effective will subsists. In a similar light, if a landlord possesses the right to re-enter his property, it does not mean that no wrong is committed but if such an act is committed, it does imply that the lease is effectively terminated  [32]  . Powers and rights in the strict sense can also be differentiated. In the latter case, a corresponding duty always coexists whereas this is absent in the former case. An example of the same is that the right to create a will does not result in a corresponding obligation for someone else. Similarly, one can see that the power to sell the mortgagors property by a mortgagee does not create an obligation on the mortgagor to pay back the mortgage money. It does, however, confer the right on the mortgagee to receive back the sum given as a debt to the mortgagor. A debt and an action to recover money fall under two different categories. While the first case can be classified as a right in the strict sense which would correspond to a duty to repay, the latter is an example of a power given by law that imposes a liability and consequently, results in the institution of legal proceedings  [33]  . Powers can be classified based on the domains in which they are exercised. Hence, powers can be categorized as either private or public. Private powers are exercised by individuals with respect to themselves. Public powers, on the other hand, lie with state agencies or instruments that carry out public functions. Examples include powers exercised by the judiciary, legislature and executive  [34]  . Power helps to determine legal relations and thus, gives rise to either authority or capacity. The term authority is defined as the exertion of power over others whereas capacity is defined as the power exerted over oneself  [35]  . Liability of an individual arises when power is vested in another. It can broadly be defined as the alteration of a persons legal rights by the person who exercises power. A few examples that illustrate this concept are the determination of a lease by reentry of the landlord that places a liability on the tenant, liability of a disloyal partner to seek divorce, one against whom a judgement has been passed is liable to have a decree of execution issued and the liability of a mortgagor that arises from the sale of the property by a mortgagee in the event of non-payment of the loan advanced  [36]  . Liability is unconcerned with the fruitful or unfruitful result in any given case. It is inherent in nature and bears no relation with any duty to pay compensation. For instance, a person committing a tort is duty bound to pay compensation and is liable for an action to be brought against him/her as well. However, someone who is not a tortfeasor is not under any duty to pay compensation but is equally liable for an action to be instituted, that in all probability will fail, as no grounds exist. Similarly, a statute in Virginia provided that all free white male persons who are twenty-one years of age and not over sixty, shall be liable to serve as jurors except as hereinafter provided.  [37]  This enactment resulted in the imposition of a liability and not a duty. Liability is said to be harmonious in nature with no-right. If a tenants goods are seized for non-payment of rent, he has no-right not to allow his supplies to be handled by the landlord and at the same time, the liability to secure and sell the merchandise against his pleasure also remains in effect  [38]  . Liability can also be seen as an advantage or benefit. A person who professes to transfer his property as a gift through the exercise of power, the person entitled to the gift has a liability to receive it. While referring to a gift causa mortis and the liability of the donee to have his gift revoked, Justice Smith has said: The title to the gift causa mortis passed by the delivery, defeasible only in the lifetime of the donor, and his death perfects the title in the donee by terminating the donors right of power of defeasance. The property passes from the donor to the donee directlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and after his death it is liable to be divested only in favor of the donors creditorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.His right and power ceased with his death.  [39]   IMMUNITIES AND DISABILITIES Another category of rights is immunity from legal power. Immunity grants an exception to change any legal relations. The right of an individual to be tried by members of society of equal standing creates an exclusion from being tried by a jury. The relationship between immunity and power is identical to that of liberty and right in the strict sense. Immunity implies a complete lack of liability  [40]  . Cases of immunity from taxation are well documented in the U.S. In Phoenix Ins. v. Tennessee  [41]  , Justice Peekham stated the following: In granting to the De Soto Company all the right, privileges, and immunities of the Bluff City Company, all words are used which could be regarded as necessary to carry the exemption from taxation possessed by the Bluff City Company; while in the next following grant, that of the character of the plaintiff in error, the word immunity is omitted. Is there any meaning to be attached to that omission, and if so, what? We think some meaning is to be attached to it. The word immunity express more clearly and definitely an intention to include therein an exemption from taxation than does either of the other words. Exemption from taxation is more accurately described as an immunity than as a privilege, although it is not be denied that the latter word may sometimes and under some circumstances include such exemptions. Disability, the correlative of immunity, is better known as inability and signifies the absence of power. The legal maxim Nemo dat quod non habet which means that no person can transfer a better title in property than what is possessed by oneself, is an expression of disability  [42]  . SUMMARY In conclusion, 4 independent, unique and distinct classes of rights are guaranteed by law. These are rights in the strict sense, where law restricts others in my respect; liberty, which permits a reasonable degree of freedom to pursue uninterrupted and unrestrained activity; power, that gives a right to execute an action effectively and immunity, which creates an exemption from being subjected to a power. A right in the strict sense imposes a duty on others, a liberty allows an action to be performed innocently, a power confers the right to accomplish effectively and an immunity denies others the right to exercise power effectively in my respect  [43]  . Correlatives are related vertically and read as is the presence of in another. Thus, duty is the presence of right in another and power is the presence of liability in another. Diagonal relationships indicate jural contradictories and are read as is the absence of in oneself. Thus, liberty is the absence of duty in oneself and immunity is the absence of liability in oneself. The contradictions of jural correlatives are connected by horizontal arrows and can be read either way as is the absence of in another. Thus, no-right is the absence of duty in another and disability is the absence of liability in another  [44]  .

St. Benedict Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Late in the fifth century the son of a well-off family in Italy left for isolation on his mission to truly seek god. This man was St. Benedict, who is credited with the first establishment of the concept of withdrawing from all temptation for Christian beliefs in the west. St. Benedict left his home and went to the top of a mountain, where he established a monastic community. In this community the individuals who resided there, constantly reiterated their faith. They sacrificed whatever they may have had to prove their true commitment to God. This became an early ideal of Christianity, that one must suffer loss and sacrifice to prove their loyalty to the faith. It was believed in this time period that if one is content with only what they truly need one is freer to think about other people and to think about God . These individuals were called Regular Clergies (monks) and were considered heroes of the faith.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  St. Benedict created three main characteristics that a Christian who truly seeks God should do. The first is live in peace with others, not always wanting his own way, or having an exaggerated idea of himself. The second is to live simply, not wanting to own many things in order to feel important and secure. The third and final main theme of St. Benedict is to pray often and read the bible. These characteristics were added upon, but the main three were the basis of the belief. From these original three the foundation of the monastery was built. Another saint who played a major influence on the church was St. Augistine. St. Augistine held the idea that Christianity gave ones life meaning and purpose. He believed that â€Å"Christians are not born but made. † St. Augistine was the author of a very influential book in the history of the church. This book was â€Å"The City of God.† This book told the history of the church and proved it to be a historically valid one. He believed that there was no use to civilization, and as faith increases civilization should decrease. The â€Å"City of the World† is the opposite of the â€Å"City of God†, and brings temptation and must be resisted. This reference to civilization was aimed towards Rome. St. Cuthbert also added to the monastic tradition. He also took himself into isolation to assert his faith. Following his death, after many years of loyalty to the faith, it was fo... ...he centuries following them, they did not work nearly as hard, or did they suffer the same sacrifice and separation from materialistic possessions and luxuries. The church and congregation itself also underwent a dramatic change. The church progressed with the times to be not only a powerful institution religiously, but also politically, economically and also socially. With this rise in power in many different areas besides religion came the involvement in many different areas in society. These ties in society created involvement in the â€Å"City of the World† which took away from aspects of the â€Å"City of God.† In closing, the decline of the monasteries and ultimately the â€Å"City of God† was due to the rise in the â€Å"City of the World.† The â€Å"City of the World† was the anti thesis of the â€Å"City of God.† They can be seen otherwise as church and state. When one was strong and powerful, the other could not be. The two could not exist in equilibrium. So therefore the stronger survived, and with the change of the times, this was the â€Å"City of the World.† The king, who at one time in history was strongly influenced by the church, took control of the Durham Priory, and all its worldly possessions.

Comparing Like Water for Chocolate and One Day in the Life of Ivan Deni

Like Water for Chocolate and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich    Like Water for Chocolate (LWC) written by Laura Esquivel and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (ODLID) written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, are two very different types of novels with more evident discrepancies than similarities. The first novel LWC, splendidly illustrates the life of a young Mexican campesina named Tita whom lives under the authoritarian rule of her mother. The second novel ODLID, originally a Russian publication, demonstrates the life and hardships of a middle-aged man named Ivan Denisovich in a Soviet work camp in Siberia. The themes revolve around both protagonists, Tita and Ivan, whom each set the overall tone of the novels. The dominant theme in both novels is the oppression the protagonists are exposed to on a daily basis. Consequently, the characters and the plots also incorporate aspects of oppression such as parental censorship and personal ill treatment. The characters, theme, and plots correlate with one another and also are associated with the cultural background of each novel, ODLID from Russia and LWC from Mexico. The influence culture has on the development of the characters, theme, and plots sets the stage for apparent similarities and differences between both novels.    The primary examples of cultural influences in LWC and in ODLID, are the mindsets of the protagonists. The cultures influence the rather listless conduct of the protagonists by establishing precincts that cripple their inner aspirations. Initially, Tita's conduct is influenced by the Mexican culture. She demonstrates a submissive behavior towards her mother. This is explained by Mexican culture of the early nineteen ... ...al influences. In LWC, the Mexican culture plays huge role in the novel introducing the reader to a unique lifestyle packed with cooking, love affairs, attractive dramas, and oppressed dreams. In ODLID, the Russian culture also flavors the novel by creating a very vapid and listless stage on which Ivan Denisovich's daily routine is delineated as realistic as possible. It would be tedious to point out all the ways, in which culture influences each novel, but it is important to take into account the prominent role culture plays in the formation of the individual novels. Like Water for Chocolate (LWC) written by Laura Esquivel and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (ODLID) written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn do not only exemplify great pieces of literature, instead they also serve as tools to map out and comprehend the cultures they were built upon.   

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Essay

The topic that I have conducted research on involves underage alcohol consumption and various levels of academic achievement. More specifically, my goal is to conceptualize the increasing amounts of underage alcohol abuse by observing the affects effects that it has on individual’s GPA. Data obtained from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests that four out of five college students consume alcohol. Of the students that consume alcohol, approximately fifty percent engage in binge drinking (NIAAA 2012). In consideration of the location where the study was conducted (University of New Hampshire), it seemed appropriate to pursue a topic that would potentially correlate with alcohol consumption. Past studies have attempted to address the issue of alcohol consumption and it’s affects effects on academic achievement, yet none have constricted the independent variable to a specific age rage. Returning back to data gathered from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, information was derived that suggested about seventy percent of minors have had at least one alcoholic beverage by the age of eighteen. In accordance with this finding, it was also recorded that although minors drink less often than adults, they do however tend to binge drink more often during an average drinking episode (NIAAA 2012). The objective of the present study is to better grasp an understanding of underage alcohol consumption and academic achievement. With the focus of the age group being confined to individuals less than twenty one years of age, new findings will be generated. The reduction of underage alcohol consumption is an extremely prevalent topic that many policy implementers and law enforcement agencies are faced with. Hopefully results from this study can establish a causal relationship that will aid professionals in dealing with this dilemma not only at the University of New Hampshire, but at universities across the nation. A plethora of studies have been conducted to observe the many negative effects that come from alcohol consumption. For those that are unaware, alcohol is a powerful depressant that ultimately slows down your thinking and time of reaction (CTC 2013). Also, alcohol consumption can act as a precursor to things such as brain damage, heart disease, liver damage, ulcers and various types of cancer (CTC 2013). Many individuals have been presented with similar facts, but they continue to drink alcohol. At the college level, many of the individuals that are consuming alcohol are under the legal age. Policy makers and law enforcement have been faced with this dilemma for an ongoing period of time. In attempts to control for alcohol consumption, many studies have been conducted to pinpoint the main causes. In a study conducted by Labrie et al. (2010), family history of alcohol abuse and its effects on college student’s alcohol abuse were researched. Findings suggest that family history has a correlation with college student’s personal use making them more prone to abuse (mostly males) (Labrie et al. 2010). With this finding however, minimal policy implications are suggested except for parental monitoring of socialization. In a study conducted by Rasul et al. (2011), the current drinking age is tested. Researchers were curious if a deduction in the current drinking age would have a successful attempt in diminishing heavy episodic drinking periods amongst college students. Findings imply that only in the rare case of high alcohol availability, and low levels of law enforcement, would the reduction of the drinking age have a small positive effect. With the full understanding of the prevalence of alcohol consumption in college in general, the question is posed of the effect that it has on academic performance. There is a brief existence of literature that focuses directly on this topic. In a study conducted by Singleton (2007), he examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and academic performance while controlling for key background factors. When SAT scores and class ranks were controlled, a significant relationship for alcohol consumption and academic performance was observed (Singleton 2007). In a similar study conducted by Singleton and Wolfson (2009), they attempted to observe relationships between alcohol intake, sleep and academic performance. Main findings suggest that the most significant predictor of academic performance was sleep schedule. However, the association that high alcohol intake would result in poor sleep schedule ultimately effecting your academic achievement was established (Singleton and Wolfs on 2009). Although past studies have observed alcohol consumption and its effects on academic achievement, none of them control for age. In the present study, the collegiate population that illegally consumes alcohol is examined. Findings will hopefully suggest that illegal alcohol consumption has a negative effect on academic achievement. If so, I will provide some policy implications that will help address and potentially minimize underage alcohol consumption. * Null Hypothesis: underage alcohol consumption has no affect effect on individual academic achievement. * Alternative Hypothesis: underage alcohol consumption will have a negative effect on academic achievement. To gather the data necessary to study alcohol consumption and its effects on academic achievement, two survey questions were contributed to a general survey composed by the spring 2013 methods of social research class at the University of New Hampshire. Our study was conducted in various classrooms at the University of New Hampshire using the method of convenience sampling. This non-probability sampling method will produce un-representative results. However, considering our limits of time and money, this sampling procedure was deemed the most rational. Professor Rebecca Glauber contacted five sociology professors teaching large discovery courses during the spring semester. These teachers agreed to let students in the methods of social research course field a survey to their students. No compensation was received by the participants. In the middle of April, three to four students in the methods of social research course attended the classes of these professors. During that time, the students stood in front of the class room and read a verbal recruitment statement. Upon completion of the statement, students handed out the surveys to all participants in the classroom. If the students agree to participate, they will anonymously fill out the survey. If at any time an individual felt uncomfortable and wished to remove their consent, that survey was destroyed. After completion, students placed their surveys in a box at the front of the room. Minimal risk is present in our study. On the survey, questions involving illegal substance use were present. This could potentially be considered a criminal liability, but since the survey was completed anonymously that factor is ruled out and the participants were protected. Also, questions involving states of mental health were present which could potentially have negative psychological effects on participants. There is no direct benefit to the participants of the study. However, results of this survey helped individuals in the methods of social research class obtain useful information that helped them draw conclusions that otherwise would not have been possible. In this particular study, no physical harm, and minimal psychological harm to the participants was present. In addition, the assurance of anonymity will help establish the goal of the benefits outweighing the risks. The variables used for this particular study were alcohol consumption and academic achievement. The independent variable, alcohol consumption, was (conceptually) theoretically defined by measuring the amount of alcoholic beverages that are consumed in an average drinking episode. The question used to address this variable was, â€Å"During an average drinking episode, about how many alcoholic drinks do you consume?† There were five mutually exclusive and exhaustive answers for participants to select from. (this sounds like it could be plagiarism so maybe change that sentence.) The dependent variable, academic achievement, was conceptually defined by measuring students GPA’s. The question used to address this variable was, â€Å"What is your overall grade point average (GPA)?† Once again, there were five mutually exclusive and exhaustive answers for participants to select from.

How Does Steinbeck Present Disadvantaged Characters to Us Essay

Steinbeck presents disadvantaged characters to us using a number of techniques. The author does this to encourage us to sympathise and begin to understand the characters, in order to show the problems with prejudice and the various types of it which were endemic in American society in this time. Lennie is firstly presented to us through the author’s use of animal imagery in the description, and the readers first impression of Lennie is how animal like he is when phrases like ‘snorting†¦like a horse’ are used. The author does this to show that Lennie is gentle, like an animal and can be tamed like domestic animals are. It also shows Lennie will only attack on instinct and become violent when he feels threatened or under attack. This is shown when he says ‘I didn’t want no trouble’ showing that he didn’t mean to do any harm and just doesn’t realise his own strength. The author also presents Lennie in this way because animals are innocent and do not have the capacity to act morally or know good from bad. This shows Lennie’s behaviour, when he acts violently, is a result of society as society taunts him until he behaves in this way. Lennie is also presented to the readers as a vulnerable character, through the author’s description of Lennie’s actions, especially after his attack from Curley when he ‘bleated with terror’ and ‘crouched cowering’. This action emphasises his dependence on George as he couldn’t defend himself without George telling him to. His dependence on George is also made totally clear when he says ‘me an’ him goes ever’ place together’ When Lennie panics he starts to loose control and the author presents this to the readers through the structure of the text and Lennie’s dialogue. Lennie’s sentences become short and staccato like when he says phrases such as ‘please don’t’ and ‘now don’t you do that’ showing his evident panic. The readers can also tell that Lennie looses control because the author uses language such as ‘(lennie’s) face was contorted’. The author does this to show Lennie doesn’t mean to kill or hurt and does it out of panic and instinct. This is shown by Lennie himself when he says ‘I done a real bad thing†¦ George’ll be mad’ which shows Lennie realises he can’t control himself and that he has no moral judgement. It also shows Lennie thinks things are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to him depending on what George will think of him. The author presents Lennie to us, as a disadvantaged character, in the way he has a child’s mind in a mans body. This not only enables us to see the way in which society treats people such as Lennie but it gives us an insight into the feelings of black people as lennie, being socially unaware and childlike, does not realise the social boundries of white people and goes to talk to crooks.