Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obesity - Essay Example Obesity is a serious illness that has been spreading fast. It can even strike people who are not predisposed to it, primarily because of the influence of the modern civilization - above all, the development of technologies that diminish the amount of physical movements for people and, of course, the spread of fast-food that is a source of extra calories and a reason for multiple maladies, of which obesity is the most common one. (Leake, J. and Porter, A., 2003) Bulimia is considered nowadays an addiction, and the most widespread addiction is the addiction to sugar. As a result, more than half citizens of the USA and Canada are overweight, and though doctors warn people how harmful it is for health, there is still a flow of commercials and advertisements propagating "eating non-stop" as the best way of life. Many doctors and dieticians believe that certain kinds of food can cause a stable addiction (chocolate, sugar, meat, and cheese) since they make our brain produce the substances that evoke the sensation of happiness: "foods which are high in fat and sugar can cause significant changes in brain biochemistry similar to those from drugs such as heroin and cocaine". (Leake, J.

Recommendation to purchase Southwest Airlines Research Paper

Recommendation to purchase Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example It is not long ago in 2002, when United Airlines, in the wake of the downturn resulting from the September 11 attacks, was forced to file for bankruptcy. Further, American airlines is operating currently with over $18 billion debt in its balance sheets. During the concluding financial year, the three biggest airlines in the United States have posted combined losses to the tune of $15 billion. This is huge considering the millions of money belonging to shareholders, which is at stake (Kevin Freiberg, 2006). In contrast, Southwest airlines have earned a profit of $178 million in 2008, although this figure is substantially less in comparison to the preceding year (decline by 72.4%). As such, the airline happens to be one of the few airlines to post a profit despite the problems being faced in the sector. this puts its profit at a much larger margin than the performances of all the other airlines put together. In terms of passenger traffic, the airline boarded more than $88 million passengers, a figure which has not been surpassed by any other airline, as per the figures from the Department of Transportation. However, it must be pointed out that Southwest is still placed 7th in terms of revenue with close to $11 billion in 2008 (Charles OReilly, 2005). When considered in tersm of its fleet size, southwest emerges the front runner and is capable to carry more passengers especially when including even its overseas routes. All along, especially since the period after the terrorist attacks in 2001, industry analysts have been constantly questioning whether Southwest would be in a position to maintain its upward trajectory. However, it must be recognized that despite the recent decline in sales, Southwest is among the very few airlines that has posted a profit when other carriers are experiencing both decline in sales as well as passenger volumes (Kevin Freiberg, 2006). It is therefore no surprise that Southwest has time and again managed to be included in

Developing Ones Identity Is A Lifelong Process Sociology Essay

Developing Ones Identity Is A Lifelong Process Sociology Essay Developing ones identity is a lifelong process. The definition of self-identity, according to psychology is the conscious recognition of the self as having a unique identity. I chose to focus my research on the area of adolescent identity, or youth between 12 and 19 years of age, because that is when so many huge decisions are made that affect a persons life and the direction in which it is going. Upon my research, I have discovered that this is an ever evolving theory. There is so much research and information on this particular subject, that it couldnt possibly be covered in one paper. Many of the theorists build on each other. Henri Tajfels adeveloped social identity theory. Erik Eriksons theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality (Cherry, 2012). And Urie Bronfenbrenner developed the ecological systems theory to explain how everything in a child and the childs environment affects how children grow and develop. There are many other theorist who have affected the way we look at identity as well. And there are many theorists in whom the above theorists have observed and built upon. Eriksons theory has stages, much like Freud and Piaget. One theorist who elaborated on Eriksons theory was James Marcia. Tajfels research consisted of two laboratory experiments that focused on in-groups and out-groups to determine the discrimination of out-groups and the inherent self-esteem boost the participants received when they awarded their own groups, even though they were anonymous, with the most money. He determined that there are three processes used to evaluate others as us or them or in other words, in-groups and out-groups, and that these processes take place in a particular order. First is categorization. We categorize objects in order to understand and identify them, this includes our social environment. We find things out about ourselves according to the categories we belong to. The second stage is social identity. Once categorized to a group, each of us forms our identity based on our belonging to the group and create an emotional bond. From there, we attach our self-esteem to this group membership. The final stage is social comparison. Once our group is formed and we have categorized ourselves, and developed an identity attached to that group, we tend to compare our group with other groups. Our self-esteem in wrapped up in this group, so we need to make sure that we are viewed as favorable in the eyes of other groups. If we are not, then hostility and competition forms between groups to determine the better group or groups. Essentially, we are fighting for our identity. This is especially true for teenagers. There are so many groups that determine young peoples identity. Religion, race, gender, activities, etc. all play an important role in how people define themselves. The next theorist is Erik Erikson. He based all of his work on case studies, and at times was criticized for his lack of formal research. Some felt that he lacked credibility because of his lack of research, but Erikson based his stage-theory on what he had observed in his life as well as case studies. The development of ego identity is one of the main elements of Eriksons psychosocial stage theory. Ego identity is the idea that we develop a conscious sense of self through social interaction. Due to new information and experiences that we acquire every day during our social interactions with others, our ego identity is constantly changing. Erikson also felt that behaviors and actions were motivated by a sense of competence. Erikson believed that each stage can create competence or crisis, or a turning point in ones development. Each quantitative stage presents its own achievements and challenges. The stages are as follows, with a focus on Identity versus confusion, but because his th eory is built on stages, it is important to mention the stages leading up to the adolescent identity stage. The first is Trust vs. Mistrust, because an infant is entirely dependant on their caregiver, they build a sense of trust if they are properly cared for, or mistrust if they are neglected, rejected, or abused. The second stage is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. This stage refers to potty training and food choice. When children successfully complete this stage they either feel secure and confident or inadequate or doubt themselves. The third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt. These are the preschool years when they begin to assert themselves and discover a sense of control and power over others. If successful they feel capable, if they fail they feel that sense of self doubt and guilt. Stage four is Industry vs. Inferiority. A sense of pride begins to develop as children recognize their accomplishments and abilities through their social interactions. When children are encouraged by th eir parents and teachers they develop a sense of competence and a belief in their abilities. This brings us to the stage of Identity vs. Confusion. This is the important stage, at least as far as we are concerned. During their adolescent years, children develop a sense of self by exploring their independence. There are several contributing factors to the formation of identity. As adolescents enter puberty their cognitive skills and physical abilities increase. When teens become more independent they tend to get involved in more neighborhood, community and school activities. Erikson believed that these changes make adolescents begin to explore their future jobs, their relationships and their beliefs. According to Erikson, identity has been formed when a person can evaluate themselves and their environment and links them together expressively. When a person struggles with this identity link, that is when the issues of role confusion occurs. Role confusion causes an individual to quest ion their characteristics, their sense of self and their perceptions of others. Due to changing physical, cognitive, and social factors, nearly all adolescents experience some form of role confusion (Kroger, 2004, as quoted by Sokol, 2009). Identity helps each of us to find our place in the world. It provides us with a sense of belonging, a sense of self, and gives us each a sense of direction. Identity is what makes us move in a particular direction. Identity is what gives us reason to be. Erikson clearly believed that having a solid sense of identity is crucial to further development. Without a true sense of identity, adolescents tend to choose a lifestyle that has negative consequences, because they lack self respect or feel that they dont deserve a better life. The theorist James Marcia, based on Eriksons theory, developed four Identity Statuses of psychological identity. His main idea is that personal choices and their social commitments determine ones identity. It is important to clarify that these are NOT stages, but statuses that can happen in any order or not at all. Marcias four statuses are, first, Identity Diffusion, this is when an adolescent doesnt feel like they have a choice in things pertaining to themselves, when in reality, they just havent made one, or is not willing at that time to make a commitment to one choice or another. Second, is Identity Foreclosure, this is when an adolescent is willing to satisfy others by committing to certain roles, values, or plans for the future. This is not an identity crisis; these individuals are just choosing to conform to what others want for them. The third status is Identity Moratorium, which is when the adolescent is in a crisis, this is when an adolescent is ready to make a choice, but has not committed to any of those choices yet. The final status is Identity Achievement, this is when an adolescent has gone through an identity crisis and has committed to a choice and developed a sense of identity based on that choice. We have all experienced this in our lives. There is not a single adult that can honestly say that they went through their entire youth knowing exactly who they were and who they were going to become. It is a process, a learning curve. I daily duty filled with action and reaction. Every day teenagers, and adults, have to reevaluate certain aspects of their identity bases on what works and what doesnt work. Our final theorist is Bronfenbrenner, his theory is that every aspect of life, every little piece of our existence affects who we are. We are each in the middle of a giant circle. Directly around us is our microsystem, this entails our families, school, everything we see and deal with daily. Next is the exosystem, this is the pieces of ones life out of their direct range, such as parents work place, extended family, neighborhoods, etc. The final circle is the macrosystem, this is where culture and attitudes come into play, for example, war, the economy, and government. Although these things are outside the individuals personal circle, they are still affective in molding and shaping adolescent identity. To sum up all of the research and theories above, it is safe to say that every facet of ones life has an impact on a persons identity in one way or another. Through their upbringing, culture, social roles, and environment, adolescents develop their identity. They learn to rely on those they can trust and build perceptions about the things that they know and the things that they dont know. Their cognitive abilities have reached a point in the adolescent years where they can determine for themselves their own paths based on their own views and opinions, even though much of their thought processes are affected by the values that have been instilled in them. Parents and caregivers play a tremendous role on religion, social status, environment, education and future. Teachers also play a role in the development of a teenagers identity. Through the use of clear expectations and positive praise, a teacher can increase their students self-esteem. They also have the ability to encourage positi ve group choices through group projects and student awareness. Teachers are also powerful role models and can create a strong learning environment that encourages cognitive growth and can increase the desire for students to pursue higher education. Teachers can make a difference in their students lives and help them develop a strong sense of self and identity. The most important thing a teacher can do is to know their students. Resources Cherry, K (2012). Stages of psychosocial  development: Psychosocial development in preschool, middle Childhood, and  adolescence. Retrieved from http://psychology. about.com/od/ psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial_2.htm Feinstein, S. (2007). Teaching the at-risk teenage brain. Retrieved from http://chapters. scarecrowpress.com/15/788/1578866 464ch1.pdf Gilgun, J (1993). Erik erikson and the use of case studies. Retrieved from (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() Marcia, J. E., (1966), Development and validation of ego identity status, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 3, pp. 551-558. Retrieved from http://iws2.collin.edu/lstern/JamesMarcia.pdf McLeod, S. A. (2008). Social identity theory. Retrieved from http://www.simply psychology.org/social-identity-theory.html Sokol, Justin T. (2009) Identity Development Throughout the Lifetime: An Examination of Eriksonian Theory, Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology: Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 14. Retrieved from http://epublications .marquette.edu/gjcp/vol1/iss2/14 Tahfel, H. (1970). Experiments in intergroup discrimination. Scientific American, 223, 96-102 Retrieved from http://www.holah.karoo.net/tajfestudy.htm Woolfolk, a., Perry, N. (2012). Child and adolescent development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Gothic Architecture :: Architectural Middle Ages Churches Essays

Gothic Architecture The church in the Middle Ages was a place that all people, regardless of class, could belong to. As a source of unity, its influence on art and architecture was great during this time. As society drew away from the feudal system of the Romanesque period, a new spirit of human individualism began to take hold; alas, the birth of Gothic. Here, the Church became a place where humanity became more acceptable, alas becoming the ideal place to visual such new ideals. The beauty and elegance of Gothic architecture is depicted most in the great cathedrals of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries—St. Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Salisbury, Durham, Amiens, and more. The experience of looking at one of the great gothic cathedrals is to look up towards God. Indeed, most Gothic structures emphasize the vertical, drawing one’s eyes upwards toward the heavens with the awesomeness of God. These cathedrals were built with towering spires, pointed arches and flying buttresses giving impressi ons of harmony and luminosity. One of the major accomplishments of the 12th and 13th centuries was to develop the engineering mastery of the ribbed vault, pointed arch and flying buttress to create a great cathedral that is at once taller, lighter, wider, and more elegant than the ones before. Even though the pointed arch could support more weight than its predecessors, there was still the problem of finding a way to support the heavy masonry ceiling vaults over wide spans. In order to support the outward thrust of barrel vaults, vertical support walls have to be very thick and heavy. What makes possible the extensive use of ribbed vaulting and pointed arches to â€Å"open† and â€Å"lighten† the walls and space of the cathedral is the flying buttress—â€Å"an arched bridge above the aisle roof that extends from the upper nave wall, where the lateral thrust of the main vault is greatest, down to a solid pier.† [Jansen, History of Art, p. 407]. The effect is to add structural strength and solidity to the building. The visual appearance of changes from the Early and Later or High Gothic are clear, as each cathedral became increasingly narrower and taller. For instance, compare the nave elevations of Notre-Dame to Amiens [Text, fig. 442, p. 333], the pointed arches of Amiens are significantly taller and narrower than the much earlier Notre Dame. The mastery of the flying buttress allowed medieval builders to construct taller and more elegant looking buildings with more complex ground plans.

Restorative Justice

Other than the conventional Criminal Justice process there is a new way to handle crime called the Restorative Justice program. This program exists only in certain cities throughout the United States. The Restorative Justice program has the purpose to reduce crime. This program has many steps, and during the course of the process has the purpose to set things right between the criminal offender and the people affected by the crime that occurred. A crime committed does harm to many others not just the immediate victim. This paper explains the Restorative Justice Process and identifies how had effects that went beyond harm to the immediate victims in a case studied. Also, reflects how the Restorative Justice Process benefited the victims and offenders. In addition, this paper describes how Restorative Justice Process differs from contemporary criminal justice processes.Restorative Justice ProcessThe Restorative Justice Program process starts with victim support, which supports the vict im immediately following the crime with things such as crime scene cleanup and repairs. Volunteers aid the victim throughout the entire process to give support to them the whole time. Restorative Justice Program conferences are usually facilitated by two members and attended by the offenders that committed the crime, all the people harmed by the crime committed and the individual support groups of both the offender and the victim (Ness, 2009).The offender has to except responsibility for his or her action and involvement in the offense. The facilitator keeps the victim informed with what is happening with the investigation. If all parties agrees to a restorative circle, will meet each other with the facilitators at a central location for convenient of everybody. The victim may or may not wish to attend the restorative circle process (Ness, 2009). There are non-communication processes as well which provides support for the victim,  provides victim awareness, and also knowledge to a ll regarding the restorative communication.This process provides both short term and long term support to not only the victim, but also the offender. Supporting the people who will be helping the offender turn his or her life around and be a productive member of society (Ness, 2009). In order for offenders to have these options, they have to own up to the crimes they committed. If they do not then they will have to go to the court system and face a judge to answer for the crimes they committed, and the judge will determine their punishment. These punishments can vary from incarceration, rehabilitation centers, and even boot camps (Ness, 2009).Case StudiedOn one seemingly normal afternoon, David with another offender, decided to break into Mildred house, and whether or not the residents were present they knocked on doors. They knocked on one door, and as expected there was no answer resulting in the young men choosing this house to burglarize. Upon entry, the two quickly searched the house for items, which are easy to carry and sell. Upon their exit, they left with the loot without regard for the residents or how they felt once they returned to discover the break-in (Ness, 2009).This case showed not only how the victim harmed or affected by the crime, but also showed how the victim’s family had an added burden placed on them because of the crime committed. The victim’s daughter and son-in-law made many extra trips across town to check on the wellbeing of their family member. With a busy schedule with their children, the increasing demanded was hard on their family. Also, Members of the community were affected by this crime (Ness, 2009). Once news of the break-in spread, members of the community feared for their wellbeing, and safety of their property. Children of the community got scared and feared the bad people (Ness, 2009).Restorative Justice ResultsDavid, one of the offenders, got ordered to pay the victim restitution and agreed to take place in the restorative program and was able to make things right between him and the victim. He successfully completed the program and rejoined his baseball team, went on to attend college, and coach a little league team. David eventually became a facilitator of restorative circles (Ness, 2009). Mildred was able to feel safe in her own home again thanks to  her family and support groups through the restorative justice system.The support groups helped check on her and fix her house back after the break in and her family checked on her on a daily basis. She agreed to meet with David and discuss what happened. The community benefitted by being able to feel safer, and that this will not happen again by the same people (Ness, 2009)Contemporary Criminal Justice ProcessIn the contemporary criminal system, there would have been a different outcome and the process involved. The contemporary system would have taken the statement from the victim and pursued the people responsible. Once they loca ted the people responsible, they would be arrested, questioned, and sent to trial to answer for what they did.The criminal justice system would have then sentenced them to what the judge thought was fair. Then people responsible would have served their time and possibly returned to population with an above average chance of going back to jail. Also, the victim would not have received any retribution such as payments for what they took and messed up (Ness, 2009). The restorative justice system allows for a full circle of help for all parties involved and tries to solve the problem of crime one case at a time.ConclusionThis paper illustrated what restorative justice does. It provides insight to the entire community about their neighborhoods strengths and weaknesses as a community. It allows offenders to take full responsibility for their actions by paying their debt to the community, and also helps offenders as the victims too. Contemporary justice allows suspects to contest allegatio ns. If a prosecutor can prove guilt, the offender got sentenced and only punished in accordance with the laws.

The advantages and disadvantages of encouraging more migrants into the United Kingdom

There are many negative points about migrants coming into our country, but there are just as many positive points. But how many migrants are too much, and how can we say stop to migrants when they are the foundation of today's society? Different groups around the world have been migrating into England since the early Iron Age. The first settlers to arrive in England were during the expansion of the Proto-Celtic movement, in about 500 BC. Then between 300 and 500 AD, the great migration movement started; England was bombarded with new settlers from all around Europe. There were the Angles and Saxons from modern Germany: the estimated total number of Germanic settlers varies between 10,000-200,000. There were also many Scandinavians tribes migrated into England between the late 8th century into the early 11th century, like the Vikings and the Varangians. As you can see migrants are the foundation of today's society, all of our ancestors were originally from somewhere else. So why is it a problem for migrants to be coming into our country in this century? The problem is that England being a small country can't physical cope with the demand for more living space. England already has a high birth rate and increased numbers of older people are living longer. So how can we cope with the non-stop flow of migrants coming into our country? From about 1991 to 2001 the population increased rapidly due to migrants coming into the country and starting families. More than one in 10 now living in the UK is foreign born, and one in 3 people living in London was also foreign born. About 8.2% of the English population was born in a different country but have been living in England. â€Å"letting the UK population spiral out of control, as the Government has done in recent years, will make Britain increasingly vulnerable to resource problems as the 21st century unfolds and is a recipe for future insecurity.† OPT, Optimum Population Trust If we don't act now against population rise, England could face the same problems as India and China. Will England be forced into sterilizing a vast number of women and men? â€Å"The UK's population is also forecast to grow by 40 per cent over the next seven decades, from 61 million today to over 85 million by 2081† Office for National Statistics The rise in migrants and asylum seekers has lead parts of the UK to major impact problems; one being the need for more housing. Many of the migrants and asylum seekers that come into the country don't have anywhere to live; because they are the government main concern to house as quickly as possible, they are on priority list to get council house. â€Å"Foreign migrants are being favoured over UK citizens when it comes to social housing, around 11% of new migrants have been allocated social housing.† First online This means that many British people waiting a house won't be given one as quickly as a non-born resident. Another problem with the high amount of migrants and mainly asylum seekers is that they are being given benefits. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work until they have been granted a place to stay in England as a Refugee. This has caused elevated rises in many asylum seekers not working, 3 out 10 are not working. As the rise migrants workers come into the country, there are fewer places for British born people to find work. Most public service jobs have been taking by the migrants and most health services have hired workers from other countries. â€Å"The hotels and shops in my remote Scottish community are filled with workers from the EU, now there are no jobs for the local young people, so most of them on into close towns or cities.† Geva Blanette BBC news talk night Another factor which is a disadvantage of migrants is the increase of malaria, HIV and TB. Many British born children are immune from malaria, HIV and TB, and England didn't fear these 3 killing diseases as much as other countries. But as the amount of migrants and asylum seekers increase, the amount of cases of these disease increases. Facts show that, 70% of individuals diagnosed with HIV, TB and malaria in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were non-UK born. Most of the migrants infected with these diseases are from devolving counties, 45% of non-UK born tuberculosis cases originated from South Asia and 39% from sub-Saharan Africa. Could the government being doing more to try and stop this rise of 3 killer diseases. The facts are that England just doesn't have room to accommodate all these migrants and provide them all with a job and we don't need to be burdened with an outburst of diseases. Migrants are coming into our country and bringing new foods, new materials and more workers. We should encourage these new ethnic ideas and ways of living. These foreign workers are happy to do the jobs which English workers aren't happy to do; they also tend work harder for the same money. â€Å"Migrants work harder, earn more and pay more tax than Britons!† Home Office So if we do send these migrants home who will do the jobs that were happy to do? Whole sectors of the economy and many public services have become highly dependent on migrant labour, and would collapse overnight if those workers were no longer available One major industry that relies greatly on migrants is the health sector, 30% are doctors and well over 10% of nurses. In education, overseas teachers play an important role in staffing schools, and a growing number of London education authorities are recruiting staff directly from abroad. The rapid increase in demand for workers in the IT industry means that over 50,000 people have been recruited. â€Å"It also suggested that the work ethic of the new arrivals was also having a positive impact on British workers† the independent Migrant workers contributed à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6 billion to the country's economic growth last year and earned, on average, higher wages than the British workers. â€Å"High levels of skills – higher on average than the UK natives and that employ migrants found them to be harder workers and reliable â€Å". Home Office Migrants are becoming part of the foundation of our society they are the strawberry pickers, the dentists, the doctors, the nurse's, carers, taxi drivers, cleaners, bus drivers, waiters and train drivers. We need them to help us make a better life. There has been much discussion in the media on the idea that migrants may have a big effect on employment and befits for British-born workers, but there is little evidence little on effect employment or befits. â€Å"The overwhelming majority of empirical studies agree that there is essentially no statistically significant effect of immigration on labour market outcomes† Glover The population rose by 189,000, due to the high number of migrants and also people leaving the country. This steady increase over the last decade has shown that the UK can't cope with the massive growth. But the government figures show that migration has given the UK a life line to an economy suffering from lack of skills and struggling to support growing bills. I personally feel that we should allow people from different countries and races to work in The UK; I feel that the UK can befit greatly by the mixed culture and races. The need for migrant workers is shown by many facts and I believe that they can make a huge difference for our economy. But I also feel that the government should be doing more to stop un-wanted people coming into our country who are not prepared to work. The government should have stricter laws and rules on who should be allowed into the UK.