Identity Essay Example for Free

Identity Essay Often times we will hear phrases like, â€Å"loss of identity† or â€Å"identity crisis†. What many people never stop to think about is what â€Å"identity† means. Generally identity can be taken to refer to specifications of a person, personal conception and expression or group expression and affiliation. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary identity carries the following meaning; the distinguishing character and personality of an individual or individuality. Everyone has an identity which they hold dear to them. Identity could be of various types; it could be individuality, racial, gender, political among others. In psychology identity relates to self image or an individual’s mental model of himself or herself. In other word it is relates to self-esteem and individuality. This is the most critical aspect of identity. Self-esteem is an important contribute rot overall well-being of all people. Self esteem is the opinion one has of himself or herself. It is without a doubt that the environment we develop in and the experiences we go through shape our opinion of ourselves and therefore determine our self-esteem. A high self-esteem is when one has a good opinion of himself or herself. Low self-esteem is when one has a bad opinion of himself or herself. Low self-esteem is like a cancer that keeps eating at ones confidence and sense of accomplishment. When one has low self-esteem then often times that person’s everyday life will be affected in that that person begins to accomplish less, kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is because that person sees himself o herself as unable to achieve compared to other or unreliable or even less attractive compared to others. As a result of this attitude the person’s behavior will almost always reflect this attitude and end up bringing the results that the person expected, failure an underachievement. A positive identity or self-esteem on the other hand will almost always lead one to success. Like an image I once saw on the internet of a cat that was starring into a mirror and what was reflected was a lion! Just like that cat a person with appositive identity will always see himself or herself as capable of overcoming any challenge that comes across his or her way. This attitude goes a long way to ensuring that this person achieves success, think of Lance Armstrong who in spite of being diagnosed with testicular cancer went on to win the Tour de France seven times and founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation (Armstrong Jenkins, pg 10). Another aspect to identity is cultural identity. Cultural identity here covers, racial identity, and religious identity. There is nothing wrong with racial or religious identity as long as it does not border discrimination. However often times we find ourselves so engrossed with our racial or religious identities so that we often unconsciously favor those who identify with our identities and discriminate against those who are of a different racial or religious identity. As an international student I can attest to the truth of this as quite often I have been looked down upon simply for having a different cultural identity. There has been a rise in an â€Å"us’ versus â€Å"them† mentality among non-Muslims and Muslims in the United States, especially following the September 11 terrorist attacks. It is sad to see people who once lived unrestricted by religious identities go to the level of phobia. People should learn push beyond these stereotypes that paint people of other religious and racial identities as inferior or evil. We are the entire human race; black, brown, white Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Atheist, we are all human beings. We should therefore love one another and appreciate our difference because it is what brings variety into our world. Identity refers to an individual’s opinion of himself or a distinguishing character or personality in the person. A positive identity can go along way in ensuring success in a person’s life, while a negative identity does the opposite. It is therefore important that we cultivate appositive identity for ourselves. Cultural identity is also another aspect. I have learnt that it is important that we appreciate our varying cultural identities and that we foster love and cooperation instead of discrimination and phobia.

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay -- Jonathan Swifts A Mod

Not So Modest Proposal In 1729, with â€Å"A Modest Proposal';, Jonathan Swift raised the argument that, â€Å"For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public'; (44), we should rid ourselves of them by our own consumption. We should bake them, fry them, or serve them in a fricassee or ragout. Swift proposes his â€Å"humble'; thoughts, for which he expects no objection, on the idea that it would be beneficial to the parents, the country, and even the children if they were to be eaten. He also states that anyone who objects should â€Å"ask the parents of these mortals whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old'; (49). Swift backs up his ingenious scheme with previous accounts of success by gentlemen in America and other parts of the world. This shows that his idea is creditable because it has worked on previous occasions. This wondrous idea has so many benefits that it’s hard to see how anyone would be so close-minded to disagree. For instance, poor tenants would have something of value which could help them pay rent and also it would greatly increase the sales at taverns where the cooks would strive to find the best recipes for their new delicacy. Finally it would be a great advantage to those getting married, where as they could sell their children for profit ( with the children’s best interest in mind, of course). Swift has a very l... A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay -- Jonathan Swift's A Mod Not So Modest Proposal In 1729, with â€Å"A Modest Proposal';, Jonathan Swift raised the argument that, â€Å"For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being a burden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public'; (44), we should rid ourselves of them by our own consumption. We should bake them, fry them, or serve them in a fricassee or ragout. Swift proposes his â€Å"humble'; thoughts, for which he expects no objection, on the idea that it would be beneficial to the parents, the country, and even the children if they were to be eaten. He also states that anyone who objects should â€Å"ask the parents of these mortals whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old'; (49). Swift backs up his ingenious scheme with previous accounts of success by gentlemen in America and other parts of the world. This shows that his idea is creditable because it has worked on previous occasions. This wondrous idea has so many benefits that it’s hard to see how anyone would be so close-minded to disagree. For instance, poor tenants would have something of value which could help them pay rent and also it would greatly increase the sales at taverns where the cooks would strive to find the best recipes for their new delicacy. Finally it would be a great advantage to those getting married, where as they could sell their children for profit ( with the children’s best interest in mind, of course). Swift has a very l...

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Indonesia’s advertising Industry which is one of the youngest in the region, is almost at its adolescence trying to come to terms with all the rapid changes that it faces as it comes of age to find its own well defined personality and identity. A philosopher rightly said about life â€Å"We see life not as it is but as we are†. This seems so true in advertising too. Advertising should draw upon people's emotions in order to strike an emotional relationship with their audiences. It is said that advertising is suppose to reflect society. This means that advertising should be representative of the society's cultures and values in which it occurs. Advertising should also be representative of genuine situations within its society. And for the audiences who wish to see their own reflection, the advertising that depends on drawing from international campaigns has no role to play. Trend however in most similar advertising markets is that it takes a while before a country comes out of the shadows of western advertising and put its own stamp of style on the world advertising map. Japan, Singapore and Thailand have done it in the past from Asia. India is one of the latest countries that have started developing their unique advertising style. Is finding a country’s unique tone in advertising just another way to stroke creative egos in an industry full of Ego maniacs? Not really. The biggest advantage of this phenomenon is that it pushes up the overall creative quality since the advertising starts working at a different level for the audience. It also improves the acceptance of path breaking creative work by the marketers because they start believing in creativity looking at the success of some bold creative work. The creative becomes more bold instigating tougher competition in the industry as a result of which the bar goes higher for creative standard and everyone benefits. The changes in Indonesian advertising, as the readers can see in the displayed samples where the ads have a distinct Indonesian tone, have started showing in Public Service campaigns and some specific product ategories leading to creation of some most memorable and impactful campaigns. This, as I see is the onset of a new era in Indonesian advertising. An era when a consumer peeps into the mirror of Indonesian advertising and utters the magic words ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ he sees nothing but reflection of his own self. Abhay Kapoor The writer is the Group Managing Director With one of the biggest Indonesian communication Group s, DM Pratama Group.

Single Parenthood: Literature Review

Single Parenthood: Literature Review2 This paper will look at the different research that has already been conducted on single parenthood. Possible research topics could be how single-parent families differ in their structure or financially, in contrast to households with two parents. Articles may also discuss the impact of single parent households on children, in terms of psychological impact, academic results, social and financial standings using statistics found in their research. By looking at articles done through American and Canadian research, it can be determined what research is missing, what the articles lack and possible suggestions to improve the substance of the materials listed. Economic Viewpoint In each article , different points were made about the financial hardships that children from single-parent households may experience and how it was much more likely they would experience them in comparison to children raised in a household with two parents. Lisa Calderwood, from London University’s Institute of Education, says, â€Å"Living apart from natural fathers can be associated with poverty and negative outcomes for children. †(Calderwood, 2010). Though not all single-parents are mothers, but Tim Casey, a senior staff attorney at Legal Momentum,( the U. S. ’ oldest organization advocating on behalf of the legal rights of women and girls. )â€Å"Employment isn’t keeping U. S. ingle parents — more than 80 percent of whom are single mothers — out of poverty. † (Casey, 2012). Here it states that not only are the majority of single parents single mothers, but that the income provided to these mothers is generally still not enough to keep them above the poverty line even though, â€Å"single mothers in the U. S. are employed more hours and yet have much higher poverty rates than their peers in other high-income countries. †(Casey, 2012). Single Parenthood: Literature Review 3 Paul Amato, a Professor of Sociology and Demography at The Pennsylvania State University, makes a good point saying due to lack of funds, â€Å"It is difficult for poor single parents to afford the books, home computers, and private lessons that make it easier for their children to succeed in school. †(Amato, 2005). This is a direct linkage with the academic success of children from single-parent families, which will be discussed later in the essay. Amato makes several good points, also saying, â€Å"they cannot afford clothes, shoes, cell phones, and other consumer goods that give their children status among their peers. (2005) Again this is in direct correlation with self-esteem issues that are more common in children raised by single parents. â€Å"Consistent with these observations, many studies have shown that economic resources explain some of the differences in well-being between children with single parents and those with continuously married parents. †(Amato, 2005). Amato makes the observation that many differences between children raised in single-parent households versus children raised with both parents can be explained by the financial difference brought on by a single income. An article stating that â€Å"Children raised by single mothers are twice as likely to misbehave as those born into traditional two-parent families† , (Paton, 2010), also says that â€Å"studies have found children raised by lone mothers are likely to have less economic security†(Calderwood, 2010)which the article implies influences the behaviour of the child raised in said type of household here: â€Å"parental qualifications and household income had a major effect on children’s behaviour at a young age, which could have â€Å"damaging long-term consequences. After looking at the findings from the different sources, it can be said that it is a fact that single-parent households are worse off financially than households with both parents. This is not only for the parents taking care of their children, but for the academic and social development of the children as stated by Amato (2005). Single Parenthood: Literature Review4 Academic Viewpoint Academically, the studies provide information which states that children from single-parent families do worse academically than those raised by both parents. They are twice as likely to drop out of high school, 2. 5 times as likely to become teen mothers, and 1. 4 times as likely to be idle. † (McLanahan , 2001). Here, Sara McLanahan states that studies have shown that children raised by single parents are more likely to drop out of high school, more likely to become teen parents and more likely to be out of school and without a job. As mentioned earlier by Paul Amato (2005), children raised by single parents cannot afford many things that could greatly benefit them in school such as â€Å"books, home computers, and private lessons. † (Amato, 2005). Paul Amato also states â€Å"In a meta-analysis of sixty-three studies of non-resident fathers and their children, Joan Gilbreth and I found that children had higher academic achievement when non-resident fathers were closely involved in their lives. † (Gilbreth & Amato, 2005). In her article, Sara McLanahan says that family disruption is not the same in all families and risk of failure in school varies among different American nationalities: â€Å"Family disruption increases the risk of school failure by 24 percentage points among Hispanics, 17 percentage points among whites, and 13 percentage points among blacks. (McLanahan, 2001). This is a pattern that is also consistent when it comes to dropping out. â€Å"Behavioural problems were less likely among children living in families with higher levels of parental qualifications. † (Calderwood, 2010) Here, Lisa Calderwood discusses behavioural problems among children raised in single-parent families, especially when it c omes to academics and found that these types of issues were more frequent in children raised by a lone parent. Single Parenthood: Literature Review5 In a chart from the National Study of Adolescent Health (1995), statistics can still show how there is a visible difference in the patterns of children raised by a lone parent, versus children raised by two. Nineteen percent of children raised by two parents had repeated a grade, compared to 30 percent of those raised by a single parent had repeated a grade, (1995). The chart shows this, as well as other categories such as, violence, delinquency, suspended, attended therapy, had smoked in the past month, attempted suicide and had thoughts of suicide. In each of the categories, the percentage of children who had done these things from a single parent household, was consistently higher than the percentages of those raised by both parents. (National Study of Adolescent Health , 1995). Emotional Nina Parry-Langdon , the author of a report done by the Department for Health and The Scottish Government, finds that â€Å"Children from broken homes are almost five times more likely to develop emotional problems than those living with both parents. †(Parry-Langdon, 2008). She specifies further to say that, â€Å"Children and young people in households of ‘reconstituted' families, particularly where there were step-children, were more likely to develop conduct disorder as were those in families which had two parents at Time 1 and one parent at Time 2. † (2008). It is important to realize that not all children that are raised by single parents, have never been raised by two parents. Here Nina points out that distress in children raised in blended families, is similar to that of children who have been through a parent’s divorce. After interviewing 5,364 children aged between five and 16 in 2004 and again last year, the researchers found that 3 per cent had developed problems over that time. †(Parry-Langdon, 2008). Again, this article makes a point to mention how quickly being Single Parenthood: Literature Review6 raised in a single-parent family can take its toll, in this case, in as little as three years’ time before con duction their second round of interviewing. From Paul Amato’s article, he states that â€Å"Interviews with children reveal that losing contact with fathers is one of the most painful outcomes of divorce. † (Amato, 2005). This shows that children are obviously impacted by the loss of contact, which can be compared to grief. Also in his article, Amato says that children from single-parent households have more exposure to stress, through many circumstances such as dealing with the financial burden, the inter-parental conflicts and in many cases having to move homes after the separation of parents. (2005) Tying in directly with stress Amato reveals, â€Å"[a study] based on a large sample of twins, found that growing up in a single-parent family predicted depression in adulthood even with genetic resemblance controlled statistically. †(Amato, 2005). This can partly be credited due to the high exposure to stress, stated above. He concludes by saying, â€Å"evidence strongly suggests that growing up without two biological parents in the home increases children's risk of a variety of cognitive, emotional, and social problems. † (Amato, 2005). In conclusion, after viewing these articles, there is much evidence to support the thesis that children from single parent households suffer in comparison to households in which both parents reside with their children. Further topics that should be considered are geographical patterns, as it seemed most of the research was focused at the United States. Another suggestion for the articles would be to gather more personal information from children of single-parent households, rather than cold statistics. The statistics make it easy to dismiss the reason behind the negative results, as opposed to hearing from children who are being raised by single parents to hear how they feel and why they feel they are suffering in certain aspects. Single Parenthood: Literature Review8 The articles did a good job at looking at the different categories including, financial, academic, and emotional issues that stem from single parenting. Out of the articles, Paul Amato (2005) and Sara McLanahan ( 2001). Research available from reputable sources on the topic of single parenthood is limited and its importance as an issue in North American society is diminished as ‘normal’, despite its serious impact shown in said articles. Work Cited Kaufmann, G. (2012, 12). This Week in Poverty: U. S. Single Mothers- ‘The Worst Off'. Moyers ; Company. Retrieved 04, 2013, from http://billmoyers. com/2012/12/24/this-week-in-poverty-us-single-mothers-%E2%80%94-%E2%80%98the-worst-off%E2%80%99/ Amato, P. (2005, 11). The Impact of Family Formation Change on the Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Well-Being of the Next Generation. The Future of Children. Retrieved 04, 2013, from http://futureofchildren. org/publications/journals/article/index. xml? journalid=37 McLanahan, S. (2001, 12). The Consequences of Single Motherhood. The American Prospect. Retrieved 04, 2013, from http://prospect. org/article/consequences-single-motherhoodleid=107 §ionid=690 Paton, G. (2010, 04). Children in Single-Parent Families ‘Worst Behaved'. The Telegraph. Retrieved 10, 2013, from

Free Essays on Sons And Lovers

Sons and Lovers tells the story of the Morels, which are the counterpart of the authors’ own family. It is in this book where D.H. Lawrence explores probably for the first time the circumstances and conditions of his youth in order to set himself free of the shadows of the past. The dominant, omnipresent influence of his mother, a tie so strong he is hardly able to bear her death. So strong he almost chooses to follow her into the immense night, which engulfed her: â€Å"And if he walked and walked for ever, there was only that place to come to† (Lawrence, p.365), the place where his dead mother was awaiting him. Yet in the end, facing the seduction of death, he turns around and walks towards the light in â€Å"the faintly humming, glowing town† (Lawrence, p.531) thus deciding to continue the path of his life, alone but free. The novel is the story of a mother that substitutes her own life by the lives of her sons, making their success her victory, the victory that will make her triumph over the share of life she didn’t get. Mrs. Morel takes possession of her sons’ lives, especially of Paul’s (the counterpart of D.H. Lawrence). And by doing so, she casts a shadow on all of Paul’s actions, thoughts, and experiences. Everything he will do he will do it, in the end for his mother. This pressure, this shadow makes it impossible for him to see the light, which would lead him along the path of his life and therefore his youth becomes a struggle, a fight against himself. He falls in love, but eventually he isn’t able to love. The mother, sitting at home, jealous, is his conscience and she wouldn ¹t allow anybody to come close to him. And so we see Paul grow up, a person bursting of life yet unable to live. With passion he falls in love, the passion though turns into pain. Pain, the keyword of the book, penetrates every chapter. A sensitive soul, deeply connected with nature, caught in torture.  «He felt as if his blood was mel... Free Essays on Sons And Lovers Free Essays on Sons And Lovers Sons and Lovers tells the story of the Morels, which are the counterpart of the authors’ own family. It is in this book where D.H. Lawrence explores probably for the first time the circumstances and conditions of his youth in order to set himself free of the shadows of the past. The dominant, omnipresent influence of his mother, a tie so strong he is hardly able to bear her death. So strong he almost chooses to follow her into the immense night, which engulfed her: â€Å"And if he walked and walked for ever, there was only that place to come to† (Lawrence, p.365), the place where his dead mother was awaiting him. Yet in the end, facing the seduction of death, he turns around and walks towards the light in â€Å"the faintly humming, glowing town† (Lawrence, p.531) thus deciding to continue the path of his life, alone but free. The novel is the story of a mother that substitutes her own life by the lives of her sons, making their success her victory, the victory that will make her triumph over the share of life she didn’t get. Mrs. Morel takes possession of her sons’ lives, especially of Paul’s (the counterpart of D.H. Lawrence). And by doing so, she casts a shadow on all of Paul’s actions, thoughts, and experiences. Everything he will do he will do it, in the end for his mother. This pressure, this shadow makes it impossible for him to see the light, which would lead him along the path of his life and therefore his youth becomes a struggle, a fight against himself. He falls in love, but eventually he isn’t able to love. The mother, sitting at home, jealous, is his conscience and she wouldn ¹t allow anybody to come close to him. And so we see Paul grow up, a person bursting of life yet unable to live. With passion he falls in love, the passion though turns into pain. Pain, the keyword of the book, penetrates every chapter. A sensitive soul, deeply connected with nature, caught in torture.  «He felt as if his blood was mel...

Borders And Boundaries Women In Indias Partition History Essay

Borders And Boundaries Women In Indias Partition History Essay There has been immense regional conflict in the regions of India and Pakistan which has affected the population over time in a great way. One of the many events includes the Women’s partition in August of 1947. The concurrent independence of a secular India and creation of the Islamic state of Pakistan created an outbreak of violence along the border areas as Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims fled towards either Pakistan or India. In the process, more than eight million people abandoned their homes and nearly one million died.  Women  were widowed, abducted and murdered. The Novel Borders and boundaries: Women in India’s partition written by Menon,R. and Bhasin, K does an excellent job in describing the events that occurred by showing the perspective of two groups of women. In order to better understand the struggle faced by the women in India during the partition it is first best to understand the historical context of the region and the cause of the partition. The partit ion of India is considered to be on of the greatest tragedies in history. The partition resulted in the division of both the Hindus and the Muslims who had resided together for hundreds of years. This led to immense territorial conflict such as boundary disputes, three wars between both India and Pakistan, a nuclear arms race, and cross border terrorism. Ever since the partition of the Indian subcontinent by the British in 1947, India and Pakistan have been bitter rivals and the Kashmir conflict remains unresolved. During five decades, they have fought four wars. Three of those wars were over the disputed region of Kashmir (including the region of Jammu), which is divided by the â€Å"Line of Control†. â€Å"In 1947-1948, almost immediately after Independence, they fought a long and intense battle over the formerly independent state if Jammu and Kashmir; in 1965 they fought another war over the same piece of land; in 1971 the two engaged during the civil war that severed Eas t Pakistan into the budding state of Bangladesh; and in 1999 they fought once more in the mountains of Kashmir (Trehan209). In addition to these actual wars, twice during the past fifty years the two countries have endured crises that brought them close to war† (Ganguly 2). The effect of the partition was deep rooted and raised many questions and issues. One of the most significant issues was the issue of refugees which resulted in the most painful way for both Pakistan and India. The city of Delhi received the most number of refugees and overall 35000 refugees landed up in the northern parts of India including areas such as Panipat and Kuruhkshetra which were used in camps. Workers who were involved in the recovery programmes. Thousands of women, both Hindu and Muslim, were abducted by men of the other community during the communal riots is common knowledge. That the states of India and Pakistan intervened to recovery total of over 30,000 abducted women from each otherâ€℠¢s territories until 1957 by virtue of the Inter-Dominion Agreement of 1947, and later the Abducted Persons Recovery and Restoration Act 1949, is less well-known. Why these states did so, and what this experience meant for the recovered women, has not been subject to historical analysis until recently. This collective amnesia is no coincidence. It has its roots in the Thus the partition of India, is looked upon as one the most devastating events in both India and Pakistan. The partition affected both the physical location and the psychology of the people. The partition affected the population as a whole in an immense way but it particularly affected women of the specific region. The novel Borders and Boundaries: Women in India’s partition sets up a great framework to describe the brutality and struggle endured by women of this time.

Concept of Weight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Concept of Weight - Essay Example Weight can be described and defined in a physical as well as social context. It is referred to as mass in law, in colloquial uses and in commerce. However, I would wish to describe and define it on a medical perspective. Weight is one of the most important issues as far as quality health care is concerned. It can be defined as the body mass index of an individual, or the heaviness of an object, or simply mass. It is a very essential issue when examining health matters on individuals because it is known medically to be a major contributor and cause of various conditions. The health of any individually changes significantly by change of BMI. The weight of a person keeps increasing, if little concern is considered, to a point where their lives start changing for the worse. Too much weight is capable of causing illnesses, which would never have been encountered had the weight been checked constantly. Weight, therefore, plays a big role in the health-care sector and is always recommended as one of the weapons used in health-care to assist clients maintain a healthy body. According to medical experts, including nurses and doctors, it is advisable to always keep low BMI’s so that even when sicknesses strike, it is easier to treat and get rid of them. A high body mass is dangerous to an individuals health (Alters & Schiff, 2011). As a medication caution, the first test for persons in hospitals is weight checking. These weights are used to determine whether the patient’s body mass is capable of posing danger to their health and whether it is the reason for the condition of the patient if sick. There are various ways used by the health-care providers to assist patients and clients to maintain or change their body weight. Hospitals and other health-care institutions encourage safe body mass and weight, and they provide ways of managing it. Health-care sector is commonly