Ancient Religions Essay -- essays research papers fc

Religions of the Ancient World   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Religions of the ancient world were in a state of constant flux. Karl Jaspers states that between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.E, â€Å"great changes took place in all the civilized world† (qtd. in Basham 36), and the great thinkers of these times began thinking independently and individually. Moreover, â€Å"after these great thinkers the world was never the same again† (qtd. in Basham 36-37). These times were dubbed the â€Å"axial period† (qtd. in Basham 37). The axial religions that emerged during this period were profound and lasting. In fact, the religions discussed in this paper—Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity—are considered the most practiced religions to do this day. Although these religions have changed over time, their underlying structure remains intact.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Hebrew Religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Richard Hooker states that there are four main periods in the Hebrew Religion, they are: the Pre-Mosaic Stage (1950 - 1300 B.C.E.), the National Monolatry and Monotheism (1300-1000 B.C.E.), the Prophetic Revolution (800-600 B.C.E.), and the Post-Exile Revolution (538 B.C.E., and beyond) (Hooker n. pag.). Little is known about the Pre-Mosaic stage, but some scholars have formed four main conclusions drawn from the text of Genesis. The first conclusion states that the beginning of Hebrew religion was polytheistic, involving several gods. This conclusion is formed from the â€Å"plural form of the name of God, Elohim rather than El† (Hooker n. pag.). The second conclusions is that early â€Å"Hebrew religion was animistic...and as a result...had a number of practices that fall into the category of magic† (Hooker n. pag.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Monolatry period, the most significant event was the flight from Egypt. The great migration led by Moses unified the Hebrew people. They began to refer to themselves as â€Å"bene yisrael† or â€Å"children of Israelâ€Å". Also at this time, Moses instructed the Israelites to worship one God, Yahweh, and to follow his laws (Torah). The Israelites looked up to Yahweh as their God and chief ruler. Towards the end of this period the Kingdom of Israel was in a state of turmoil. They longed for a â€Å"unified state under a single monarch† (Hooker n. pag.) and they forged ahead with this notion in mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚   ... ...ite their difficulties, these religions only strengthened throughout time. Works Cited Basham, A.L. The Origins and Developments of Classical Hinduism. Ed. Kenneth G. Zysk. Boston: Beacon, 1989. Brummett, Palmira, et all. Civilizations Past & Present. Ed. Priscilla McGeehon Longman, 2000.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dumoulin, Heinrich. Zen Enlightenment: Origins and Meaning. Trans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maraldo, John C. New York: Weatherhill 1979. Finegan, Jack. The Archeology of World Religions. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press 1952. Hooker, Richard. The Hebrews. 1996: n. pag. Online. Internet. 10 Oct. 2000. Available http://www.edu:8080/~dee/HEBREWS/RELIGION.HTM. Kashyap, J. et al. The Path of the Buddha. Ed. Morgan, Kenneth W. New York: The Ronald Press Co., 1956. Scheck, Frank Reainer, Manfred Gà ¶rgens. Buddhism: An Historical Overview. Baron's: 1999. From Jesus to Christ: the First Christians. PBS and WGBH/FRONTLINE 1998: n. pag. Online. Internet. 2 Nov. 2000. Available http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/.

Psychological Effects in Woman Sexually Abused as a Child

Psychological Effects in Woman Sexually Abused As a Child One single devastating act of sexual abuse can severely disrupt the mental health in a woman’s life. Additionally the impact can be severe enough to cause psychological damage that develops into mental illness. Most people are uneducated about psychological damage that sexual abuse, as a child can have on a woman. With gaps in my own understanding, I welcome wisdom to shed some light in a dark area. There are no predetermined feelings or responses that can be anticipated after sexual abuse. In fact, these feelings demonstrate how uncomfortable sexual abuse makes a woman feel inside. Examples of some commonly experienced feelings are; guilty, powerless, isolated, untrusting, inadequate, socially inapt, and feeling inferior to others. Of course unhealthy, emotional states progress into mental illness. Spelman, C. (1993). Suicide is the third leading cause of death in woman ages 15-24. Chemical imbalances are consequently due to the brain producing less serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical produced in the brain that makes you happy. For instance low serotonin levels cause depression to set in or worsen pre existing depression. Psychologists cluster symptoms into categories then sub divide them with related psychological disorders. Therefore, cluster B: regards personality disorders that portray dramatic, emotional, and erotic behaviors Fogarty Migon, (2008) Avoidance personality disorder is a combination of childhood sexual abuse, biological, and economic factors. Avoidance personality brings a strong desire to have relationships, but the fear of rejection prevents starting any. Women feel inferior to others and inadequate in social situations. If it is certain others like the woman, this is an exception for socializing. In addition, new activities are avoided, because they are afraid of being embarrassed. Posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) is a classic diagnosis’s of sexually abused children. It is believed that 50% of women who, have been sexually abused, as a child are affected by PTSS. Posttraumatic stress syndrome is characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders that resemble the traumatic event. The symptoms a woman experiences can vary from having one or all of them. Below is a brief description of the symptoms. * Depression is a feeling of great sadness, loss of interest in things that normally are important, isolating themselves, oversleeping, lack of sleep, loss of concentration, suicidal thoughts. Depression is a very common trait among many other psychological disorders. Of all disorders women are most likely to suffer from depression at some time in life if not chronically. * Anxiety is uneasiness in the mind. Fearing or anticipating an event that is not preventable. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms like sweating, rapid heartbeat, tightness in the chest, and tension. It is psychological in nature, but to the person experiencing the symptoms it’ feels very real. * Flashbacks are when the event replays repeatedly in the mind. Usually an event; triggers the flashback to occur. A detail from the traumatic event; such as a color can trigger a flash back. * Nightmares consist of a frightening experience while dreaming. The individual usually wakes abruptly, scared and panicked. Some nightmares can be so realistic, that one does not realize; it was a dream until they wake. Often the nightmare is a recall of a traumatic event. *Suicidal tendencies are the thoughts of themselves being better off dead. They lose the will to life and the thought, of all the pain seems like too much. It seems like the only solution to end the pain and problems. Vanderbilt, H. , (February 1992) an unknown number of sexual abuse cases go unreported. â€Å"A national study showed that 35% of children under the age of 18 have been victims of sexual abuse†. Often a child believes that telling anyone about the abuse will only make the situation worse. At this time, the child begins to suppress their uncomfortable feelings to help cope and continue to function. Vanderbilt, H. , (February 1992) Say’s the most common type of sexual abuse is incest. Meaning a close family member or relative, of the child is responsible for the immoral act. This particular type of sexual abuse usually is recurrent. Four out of five sexual abuse incidences; are committed, by a trusted friend or family member. Strangers account for less than 20% of sexual abuse cases. Cases involving strangers are lower because the child usually does not survive the incident. Ellen Bass (&) Laura Davis, (2008) say â€Å"it’s possible to be a victim of sexual abuse without knowing or remembering it. This coping mechanism completely blocks out the memory and prevents the conscience mind to remember. Even without the memory the unconscious mind responds; by sending uncomfortable feelings to the mind†. Addressing sexual abuse during childhood is most efficient, because emotional trauma can be patched and prevent problems from transitioning into a mental illness. Individuality begins to takes place during adolescence and here their identity and beliefs form. The range of problems a woman may have begins to show the disturbances during this stage. Below are symptoms commonly seen in sexually abused women. * Posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) is most common diagnosis’s from sexually abused children. It is stated that 50% of women who, have been sexually violated, as a child are affected by PTSS is characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders that resemble the traumatic event. The symptoms can include one or all of them. Some women are affected more severely and the symptoms are intensified; causing disruption in their daily life. * Depression is a feeling of great sadness, loss of interest in things that normally are important, isolating themselves, oversleeping, lack of sleep, loss of concentration, suicidal thoughts. Depression is a very common trait among many other psychological disorders. Of all disorders women are most likely to suffer from depression at some time in life if not chronically. * Anxiety is uneasiness in the mind. Fearing or anticipating an event that cannot be prevented. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, rapid heartbeat, tightness in the chest, and tension. It is psychological in nature, but to the person experiencing the symptoms it is very real. *Flashbacks are when the event replays repeatedly in the mind. Usually an event triggers the flashback to occur. A detail from the traumatic event such as a color can trigger a flash back. * Nightmares consist of a frightening experience while dreaming. The individual usually wakes abruptly, scared and panicked. Some nightmares can be so realistic, that one does not realize it was a dream until they wake. Often the nightmare is a recall of a traumatic event. *Suicidal tendencies are the thoughts of themselves being better off dead. They lose the will to life and the thought, of all the pain seems like too much. It seems like the only solution to end the pain and problems. There are plenty of organizations dedicate to helping people during their time of need. These organizations have fundraisers and take donations to help people that cannot afford it. Please realize that there are always options and you are not alone. No matter what your situation is there is help available. Included at the end is a list of phone numbers; of centers who are dedicated, to different needs. Healing strengthens the heart, mind, soul and while softening the heart, it has enabled many women, to move forward in life. It is clear that sexual abuse has a damaging effect that can be long lasting. Many consequences can result and it is not predictable to say what may happen. The guidance of a professional to help abuse victims begin to heal is worth it. Sometimes undesired events occur and we have no options, but to live with the results. Seeing the positive nature in our human qualities makes life tolerable and worthwhile. Keep determined and strong willed; remember nothing can prevent success that has been in the making. Wounds can leave scars and emotional wounds may seem invisible, but outward sign indicate different. Scars remind us that we have passed through a painful situation and are stronger for doing so. Life can beat you down but, one thing life cannot bring down is a strong will to survive.

Leadership Style Essay

The main focus of any organization is viability or productivity (Mastrangelo, Eddy and Lorenzet, 2004). This is further heightened by the increasing changes in product market activities (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 2001). The fact that consumers now have a better and affordable access to market information has brought about an increase in their market power and the resultant effect is a more challenging and competitive market especially in the private sector. The public sector on the other hand is under increasing pressure for a more effective utilization of public funds. Consequently, the quest for a competitive advantage and increasingly better performance is becoming a major factor for consideration in virtually all organizations. In this light, the CIPD (2001) emphasized on the role of leadership as a major factor essential for an enhanced organizational performance. Taormina (2008) supported this in stating that in leadership is vested the ability to decide how organizations will be run and it plays a major role in influencing the organization to success. The CIPD (2001) further added that leadership (or people management) is the main element harnessing other success factors in an organization for effectiveness. A number of authors have also supported the foregoing discussions on the leader-success relationship (e. g Harris and Kuhnert 2008; Mastrangelo, Eddy and Lorenzet, 2004). Furthermore, research works have identified certain pointers to high performance leadership. A major one among these is leadership behavior or leadership style (Mastrangelo, Eddy and Lorenzet, 2004; Taormina, 2008). Leadership Style and Organizational Success: Drawing a Correlation Leadership style is one of the major traits that may be used to draw a line of difference between high performance and low performance organizations (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001). Since the management in an organization has a great impact on how it will be run, the style of leadership within the management cycle has a way of dictating the direction that such an organization will go. Taormina (2008) buttressed this point in his work. He established the fact that leadership behavior go along way in determining the culture or the prevailing atmosphere in an organization and this will in turn affect employees’ attitude towards performance and ultimate success of such an organization. A number of dichotomies on leadership behavior have been presented. However, leadership style can be broadly categorized into two – ‘People-Centered’ leadership and ‘Task-Centered’ leadership (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001 pg 150; Taormina, 2008 pg. 87). ‘People-Centered’ leadership Versus ‘Task-Centered’ leadership Various progressive attempts have been made at investigating leadership from the behavioral angle. However, a remarkable point was reached in the 1950s with the introduction of ‘Ohio State model’ which talked about ‘task-oriented’ and ‘people-oriented’ leadership (Taormina, 2008 pg. 87). These two categories seem to have been a perfect one that describes leadership behaviors because it is still being referred as at present. According to Adeyemi-Bello (2001), task-oriented style emphasizes on production and organizational goals. This leadership style is concerned about how the organizational goals may be implemented. People-oriented leaders on the other hand show great concern for the followers (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001). They create a warm environment within the organization and foster a strong positive relationship among members of the organization. While this style offers a system that respects the personality, feelings and opinions of the employees and gives them a feeling of empowerment (Taormina, 2008), task oriented approach is thirsty for achievements sometimes at all cost (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001). Subsequent studies after the initial presentation of these leadership models have made attempts at differentiating between them. The intention was to determine which one should be preferred above the other. However, Adeyemi-Bello (2001) explained that current researches have shown that preferences for any of the two styles depend on the current situation within the organization. There are cases where one style will fail to impact a good result, not because it is less effective but because the situation at hand does not create an environment conducive for its functionality (Mastrangelo, Eddy and Lorenzet, 2004). Furthermore, Jacques, Garger and Thomas (2008) remarked that the recent behavioral theory of leadership took the studies a step further by suggesting that the two behavioral approaches will be more effective when adequately blended under any given situation. Their paper revealed that graduates of project management performs better in leadership than those from another management related courses because of their ability to blend the two leadership styles; a training that the other group did not receive. Adeyemi-Bello (2001) had earlier presented this fact in her work. The result of her survey on 29 Baptist church leaders shows a better result when the two styles were combined in church leadership than when each one was singly adopted. She concluded for the extension of these results into leadership in other realms of human activities. The implications of these results are quite obvious. A paradigm shift in the content and delivery of leadership training programs has become very necessary. The current training inculcating strategic planning and tasks-focused practices should pave way for a more balanced approach in management training. People managers should also learn to engage in a better interpersonal relationship with those under them, create a warmer environment conducive for a healthy work relationship, and engage in strategies that will give employees a feeling of empowerment (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001; Monstarangelo, Eddy and Lorenzet, 2004; Taormina, 2008). The case of Kleine Plastics in the UK presented by Ludlow (1987) serves as a good example in driving home the points that has been raised so far (in Tyson and Kakabadse eds. ). The work contrasted between the leadership attributes of Joseph Kleine, the founder of Kleine Plastics and that of David, his son at a particular time during the early stages of the company’s development. It reviews Joseph Kleine’s attitude as ‘a charismatic leader with whom his managers and work force wish to identify’ (pg. 23). He engages a style that trusted and respected his employees and empathizes with their situations. To him, these people were his main assets. This, coupled with his result oriented tendencies, propelled the work force towards a high performance level. However, David Kleine could not maintain this approach when he had to stand in during his father’s absence. He wanted result at all cost without due regards for his team members. Objections to his propositions by his managers were downplayed no matter how genuine they may be. Though work was still progressing, enthusiasm and productivity level dwindled. The return of Joseph was welcomed with protests from every quarter. David style was found to be less effective because of its lack of ‘human face’. Conclusion Leadership style is an issue that will still continue to be a subject of interest among research workers. The world is ever changing and people are becoming increasingly dynamic in attitude and thinking. This calls for a leadership approach that will keep up with the pace of the changes. A dynamic leader is one that is better equipped to respond to changes and easily enlist the cooperation of people in managing them effectively towards a greater level of production performance.

How Fantasy Has Changed Since the 1920s

How Fantasy Has Changed Since the 1920s A Century of Fantasy: How the Genre's Changed Since the 1920s The English word, "fantasy," sprang from Old French's  phantasie, or "vision, imagination." But you wouldn't be entirely remiss if you'd thought that it came from  the word, "fantastic." When you consider all the fantastic things in our world and our imaginations, it's no wonder there are so many different subgenres in fantasy - and dedicated readers of each subgenre.In our past piece in this series on writing fantasy, our editors gave tips on writing compelling fantasy fiction. In this post, we conduct a brief examination of the evolution of the genre and its subgenres. Because we've only got so much space, we're going to concentrate on the Anglophone side of things - though fantasy is a worldwide phenomenon that's got roots in Indian myth, dating back to 1500 BC.   And yet, up until the 1940s, "fantasy" wasn't even a universal term for the genre yet! ("Fairy tale" was preferred.)How did we get from there to fantasy's current, steadfast position in mainstream English literat ure?The Two Giants of FantasyEnter two names that you might’ve come across before: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.The two fathers of fantasy met in 1926 on the campus of Oxford University, where they were both on the faculty together. (Lewis was a part of the Literature faction of the English faculty. Tolkien, unsurprisingly, was more of a Linguistics person.) So it's curious that it seems to actually be young adult and children’s fantasy (something called Harry Potter, in particular) that changed all of that. First,  Harry Potter got everyone reading fantasy. Then the genre really sprang into popular culture when the advent of CGI took fantasy from our books to our silver screens. Suddenly, the worlds that we could only envision in our minds were right in front of our eyes. In 2002, Peter Jackson captured the attention of both readers and non-readers with the Hollywood adaptation of Lord of the Rings. Then  Game of Thrones started showing up on our televisions every week, and that, as they say, is that.Where will fantasy go now?We mentioned it already, but we’ll mention it again. There really is no better time to write fantasy. When you think about it, the biggest pop culture phenomena since the turn of the millennium almost all have ties to fantasy: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Twilight. Even The Hunger Games is a dys topian fantasy, set in an entirely imagined (albeit terrifyingly bleak) world.Looking back now, it’s easy to see the many ways that the genre’s evolved since the days of Tolkien. Consider The Hobbit, which possessed a grand total of zero women. Then take a gander at all the girls who are mainstays in the most popular fantasy books now (Hermione, Katniss, Triss).Admittedly, it’s tough to predict the future, but at the rate that the genre’s progressing, there are two big trends that will carry us through the next couple of years:An ever-diversifying spectrum of characters and worlds as fantasy expands beyond its European and medieval roots. In Tor.com’s past open call for submissions, for instance, they specifically asked for novellas that  were not based on European cultures - seeking, instead, worlds that â€Å"take their influences from Africa, Asia, the indigenous Americas, or any diasporic culture from one of those sources.†Further gen re- and subgenre-blurring. Fantasy already overlaps with romance, mysteries, and thrillers - and we’ll see much more of fantasy’s influences in other genres as the spectrum of writers and readers continues to broaden.Fantasy traditions of other countries will impact the stories of the Anglophone world. Russia, for instance, recently pioneered the increasingly popular "LitRPG" genre, where the stories take place in worlds with video-game mechanics.Ultimately, the future of fantasy rests on the imaginations of all the writers out there. How will you show us glimpses of another universe? People are always wanting to escape from reality. And so it's Lloyd Alexander, the author of the famous The Chronicles of Prydain series, who  states the purpose of modern fantasy best: â€Å"Fantasy is barely an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it.†Has this post inspired you to write fantasy of your own? Tell us about your ideas in the comments. And if yo u want to get an even more concrete idea of fantasy's evolution, check out this post of the 100 best fantasy series of all time.

20 Expert-Tested Writing Strategies in 2019 That You Have to Try

20 Expert-Tested Writing Strategies in 2019 That You Have to Try 20+ Writing Strategies (That Helped Bestselling Authors Finish Their Books) So you've decided today that you want to write. Great!Now how exactly are you going to do it?Luckily, we have a precedent to which to turn. From idea generation to the art of editing, there are thousands writing strategies out there to get you past the finish line - and we gathered the best ones in this post.   Here are 20+ writing strategies that you can use to help you over the finish line.18. Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Write Anything† ModeSeriously, anything. You can take Maya Angelou’s award-winning words for it:â€Å"What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks, ‘The cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat,† doesn’t exactly sound very gla morous, does it? But Maya Angelou also wrote I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1971, so she knows a thing or two about writing.19. George Plimpton’s Letter StrategyIf the the thought of an agent or thousands of people reading your story makes you sweat, you might have the literary version of "stage fright." To help curb this type of writer's block, the Paris Review founder George Plimpton used to follow this strategy:â€Å"Many years ago, I met John Steinbeck at a party in Sag Harbor, and told him that I had writer’s block. And he said something which I’ve always remembered, and which works. He said, â€Å"Pretend that you’re writing not to your editor or to an audience or to a readership, but to someone close, like your sister, or your mother, or someone that you like.† And at the time I was enamored of Jean Seberg, the actress, and I had to write an article about taking Marianne Moore to a baseball game, a nd I started it off, â€Å"Dear Jean . . . ,† and wrote this piece with some ease, I must say. And to my astonishment that’s the way it appeared in Harper’s Magazine. â€Å"Dear Jean . . .† Which surprised her, I think, and me, and very likely Marianne Moore.†We’ll let Steinbeck, the person who first came up with this ingenious writing strategy, explain the reasoning behind it: â€Å"Write it as a letter aimed at one person. This removes the vague terror of addressing the large and faceless audience and it also, you will find, will give a sense of freedom and a lack of self-consciousness.†Plimpton wasn’t kidding, by the way: you can read his October 1964 article in Harper’s Magazine here.20. Hilary Mantel’s â€Å"Do Anything† TechniqueWhat if you’re just sick of words altogether? For a change of pace, let’s try something that doesn’t involve writing - in any capacity. Hilary Mantel says that sometimes what you need to do in order to write is not write:â€Å"If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to  ­music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem. But don’t make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people’s words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.†Force yourself to disengage from your manuscript and you might come back sharper and more aware of what you want to say. Jane Smiley, for instance, would drink Diet Cokes to distract herself, explaining: â€Å"When you sit down again on Saturday, you’re better. Not only because of all the practice, but also because of the walking away. I’m a firm believer in walking away.†21. P.G. Wodehouse’s Cursing ApproachIf you’ve come this far and all else has failed, know that you can always resort to P.G. Wodehouse’s tried, true, and completely professional advice:â€Å"I just sit at my typewriter and curse a bit.†Do you have any more writing strategies to share? How about writer's block memes? Have you found any strategy useful so far? Tell us in the comments below!

American Consumer Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Consumer Culture - Research Paper Example This leads to the many topics which arise when studying American consumer culture. One of the major impacts of American consumer culture is its association to materialism. The critics and the advocate of the American consumer culture believe that materialism, which has a close association to the culture, has the disadvantages and advantage respectively, on the economy. The realization of materialism as a major topic in American consumer culture makes it inevitable to discuss the roots of materialism and its impact throughout the American history. In his book, Lawrence Glickman asserts that consumerism has been treated as excessive materialism classified as a moral danger and a popular culture (Glickman, p. 1). Materialism refers to the act of individuals in the society stressing on the importance of the physical possession than they do to the spiritual. The major thesis statement for the article, American consumer culture causes individuals to care more about their personal possessio n than their internal well-being. Impact materialism in American history Benefits The impact of materialism is much evident in the American society where consumer culture has a strong foundation. History shows that materialism saved America from overproduction. It is true that America is one of the strongest economy in the world hence it is easy to associate it to materialism. Materialism can thrive in the economy because there is much resources to support the needs of the consumers. Consequently, materialism proves useful to American economy since the consumers have the urge of purchasing more and more allowing supply and demand to occur naturally. In chapter 5 of Lawrence volume collection, Durning asserts â€Å"materialism is caring about things and taking care of them meaning it isn’t necessarily a bad thing† (Glickman, p. 78). Durning is right owing to the present state of America which consumption drives it current economic system. Further, materialism have also contributed to the American economy being self sustaining and self regulating since the consumers are much interested in buying the products in the market. It is true that a product can only exist in the market if the consumers are willing to buy hence the benefit of materialism. History shows that after the World War I American society feared the emergence of overproduction since the consumers had no desire in buying the products . The only remedy was to train the society into being materialistic with subsequent desire to buy the products. There was need for shaping a new mentality whereby the desires of man would overshadow their needs hence the birth of materialism (Bussinessinsider, 2013). It is acknowledged that consumer culture is a very important recipe for economic growth, it make the people to perceive spending as a way of obtaining happiness and satisfaction that can be very helpful in the times of economic recession as they will continues to spend cushioning the economy f rom experiencing the pinch in a significant way. Consumer culture makes spending be a bonding experience, for example doing shopping together with the friends, peers, and age mates, it brings about a strong bonding culture (McLaren, and Torchinsky 57). Drawbacks One of the major disadvantages of materialism arising from consumer culture is its effect in causing poorer well-being. The people with high materialistic nature often appear to possess goal orientation that may ultimately impact the society negatively. Don Campbel in

Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Depression - Research Paper Example Psychologists caution parents to handle children well in the quest to address this menace. After all, this problem affects all people in the world directly and indirectly. Depression is one of the most common mental problems in the world today. This mental condition arises when a person has much more do than they can handle at one time. Overcome Depression Organization (2009) implies that the world has become more competitive, busy, and stressful, and most people are having challenges coping with these activities. They eventually develop stress, which subsequently develops into depression. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 350 million people have depression in the world. This makes depression one of the most common disorders in the world today. The major symptoms of depression include loneliness, lack of moods, poor concentration, poor appetite, low self worth feelings and guiltiness (Marcus et al, 2012). Recent studies indicate that depression can arise due to earlier life experiences. Psychologists and scientists found out that child abuse and neglect is likely to cause depression in the future. Child abuse may take the form of physical assaults, emotional and psychological abuse including insults, and sexual abuse. The World Health Organization (2012) report on burden of disease implied that 51% of people neglected and abused in their childhood developed depression later in life. Childhood depression is easy to detect with the major symptoms, which are the same as for the adults. Childhood stress and depression is preventable and treatable with the various intervention and treatment strategies. Depression is a mental condition associated with low moods, which affects the way a person thinks, behaves, and feels. In most cases, depressed people tend to think a lot feel anxious, sad, guilty, worthless, hopeless, and worried. The depressed also lose interest in most activities