English Literature Sex and Sexuality in Dracula and the Bloody Chamber

English Literature Sex and Sexuality in Dracula and the Bloody Chamber Introduction In spite of being fiction-based writings, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, among many other related stories, have been critically acclaimed as some of the best books that give a clear representation of sex and sexuality in the society- especially in the classical times like the Victorian era.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on English Literature: Sex and Sexuality in Dracula and the Bloody Chamber specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, different authors ascribe to different ideologies in regard to the intricacies of sex and sexuality among men and women. However, in most of the writings like Dracula and The Bloody Chamber, women are mostly represented as the weaker gender that is bound to obey the rules and regulations of a male chauvinist society. Any effort to break free into a balanced society where women are able to express their sexuality in a free way i s met with huge criticisms and occasional punishments. An explication of how these stories represent men and women in regard to sex and sexuality is expressively given in the discussions below. Representation of Sex and Sexuality in the Stories As was earlier mentioned, different authors represent sex and sexuality variably. In analyzing and exemplifying the representation of sex and sexuality in these stories, various subtopics will be used- as is typified below. Gender Balance (Masculinity Vs Femininity) In as much as the classical societies are reported to having stringent social expectation and standards for both genders (sexes), Stoker asserts that in the Victorian society, men were allowed to engage in more freedoms, pleasures and enjoyment endeavors than their female counterparts (Stoker, 2011). In addition, these patriarchal views of the Victorian era ensured that men enjoyed dominance over the women in terms of engaging in sexual endeavors (Waters, 1997). Resultantly, men w ere able to engage and satiate their sexual urges- even weird ones like homosexuality- without facing a lot of condemnation or punishment. On the flip side, women were not permitted to express their sexual desires openly- unless it was being done to please the men (Podonsky, 2010). A good example here is way Stoker portrays Lucy as a sexually aggressive lady and the criticisms and punishments she had to receive for her aggression.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, Mina, who is portrayed as the typical modest and moral woman in the Victorian era, ends up being spared of criticisms and punishments in spite of her involvement with the Dracula just in the same way as Lucy. It is worth mentioning that despite the portrayal of men as being the stronger of the two sexes; they are occasionally represented as being feminaphobic (afraid of being feminine) and gynephobic (afraid of women in general). Based on their flirtatious nature and the general sexual attraction of men to women, both Dracula and the Bloody Chambers tend to limit and oppose the strength of women. Even with their inferiority in the society, women like the three weird sisters in Dracula are able to seduce and convince men to almost do anything just to get sex from them (Podonsky, 2010). More power and freedom by these women would probably translate into more control over men no wander their strength, dominance and control is hugely opposed. Again, despite the fact that both women and men are equally depicted as engaging in unethical or irresponsible sexual behaviors, the stories largely show that women get more punished or face dire consequences than men. All these point to the argument that the classical era tended to favor masculinity (Stoker, 2011). Objectification of Women To a great extent, women in these classical stories are objectified as â€Å"instruments of male pleasure†. In fact, in most cases, the pleasure being referenced in these stories is the element of sex (Craft, 1997). Of course characteristics and traits of women such as obedience, submissiveness and modesty were considered important. However, most emphasis was made on aspects that had strong sexuality connotations such as beauty and voluptuousness (Carter, 1979). This objectification of women is, probably, the reason gender roles among women in Dracula were divided into two broad categories; those who were virginal and pure (the modest type who did everything in accordance to the rules and regulations of the Victorian era) and the sexually aggressive type who were otherwise regarded as whores (Podonsky, 2010). In Dracula, these two categories are represented by the key female characters Mina and Lucy. Despite both ladies being inexplicably feminine in terms of their naivety, purity and dependence on their husbands; Mina was more conserved to fulfilling a womanâ₠¬â„¢s duties to her husband while Lucy had three suitors- which is interpreted as her desire for attaining freedom through promiscuity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on English Literature: Sex and Sexuality in Dracula and the Bloody Chamber specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As the story of Lucy and Mina develops and the threat of these ladies being transformed by the Dracula; the men in the story are apparently more afraid these ladies losing their sexual innocence and turning into sexually aggressive women rather than the eminent threat of their vampiric and blood-thirsty tendencies. In the Bloody Chamber, the Marquis makes the heroine into a pornographic image by undressing her and always forcing her to wear her collar of rubies (Carter, 2009). Furthermore, the Marquis not only goes as far as killing his wives for his weird pleasures but he even goes ahead to make displays of their dead bodies as if they are some tr ophies or collectibles (Simpson, 2006). Even more blatantly, Carter objectifies Beauty when her father uses her as payment for the debt owed to the beast. Only in very rare occasions do we find men being objectified. A good example of men being objectified is in the Bloody Chamber through the character known as the Countess. In the Bloody Chamber, the countess can never be happy with men because she has an insatiable hunger for men which only makes her see them as in a lusty way rather than the fulfilling love that she craves for. Here, men are the typified as the objects and we get an insight of how objectification gets to harm the object as well as the person who does the objectification (Simpson, 2006). Violence, Sex and Love In many ways, the theme of violence and sexuality run concurrently in both the Bloody Chambers and Dracula. In the Bloody Chamber for instance, Marquis seduces the ladies into being with him then ends up killing them once they have become his wives. In other words, he seduces the ladies, tells them he loves them, then marries them so that he can satiate his sexual needs and once he is tired of his victims (wives); he kills them and moves to the next one. Here, ladies are depicted as being gullible and emotionally susceptible to men’s lies. As a result, they end up paying the ultimate price of being killed (Simpson, 2006). Contrastingly, Dracula also portrays the theme of violence but in this case, men are the ones who are depicted as being gullible to the seduction and flirtation from women like Lucy and the three weird sisters. Before Lucy became a vampire, Lucy was portrayed as having quiet sexual aggression in spite of occasionally complaining about the limited freedom of expression by women. However, once she is transformed by Dracula, her thirst for blood and sex is heightened and her human nature is corroded as we see her stalking and feeding on children- something which normal mothers would never engage in (Warner, 1995; and Wright, 1989).Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The powerlessness of the Victorian men, in terms of resisting sexual advancements from the ladies, is again exemplified when Harker becomes easily overpowered by the three sisters just by merely being seduced. In spite of wanting to fight the three weird sisters, his body is aroused as he craves with a â€Å"burning desire† that the ladies would kiss him with their red lips. In the end, not even Harker’s respect for his wife Mina is able to save him. The difficulty in resisting the three weird sisters is further explained by the number 3, which, according to ancient mythologies, signifies a strong bond. This is probably the reason witches in the Greek myth of Perseus as well as the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth or even the biblical trio (God the father, son and Holy Spirit) were three in numbers. Even Van Helsing, who is depicted as a strong-willed warrior fighting against the oppression brought by the Dracula and the vampires, is reported to have hesitated f rom killing the vampires when he saw that the radiant beauty of the vampires. It can thus be said that the high level of seduction and prowess in sex by women is a huge threat to men and their moral principles (Richards, 2008). For most believers in the Victorian era, unnatural sexual behaviors came by as a result of some evil or satanic forces. In order to fight these ills, religious and violent intervention were both necessary (Norton, 2000). This, essentially, explains the use of cross-shaped wood by Van Helsing and the vampire warriors in daggering the vampires. To this regard, the liberation of women’s sexuality can be seen as having been encouraged by Christian endeavors (Masters, 1972). Remarkably, topics like homosexuality and ritualistic practices like orgy sex were immensely controversial in the Victorian era (Day, 2002). According to the Dracula, people found guilty of engaging in homoerotic behaviors was punishable in court with up to two years in jail and hard la bor, among many other punishments. For this reason, great emphasis was put upon responsible and modest sexual behaviors (Roemer Bacchilega, 2001). However, as time went on and books like Dracula expressed these behaviors by curtailing them as being part of vampiric practices; the public became somewhat less concerned about them in entirety but rather in terms of inhibiting women from engaging from them (Dworkin, 1974). It is for this reason that, whereas men would go as far as being polygamous or having many women sexual partners in the Victorian era, females like Lucy thinking of polyandry such that women could marry more than one man at the same time, was considered as being promiscuous and whore-like. As a final note, it is worth stating that most of these stories view love as a means to an end. For majority of the men like Marquis (in The Bloody Chamber) and Harker (in Dracula); marriage and having women is mainly for the purpose of fulfilling sexual needs. This is the reason c haracters like Marquis easily seduces, has sex then kills his wives. Knowing that men have a weakness for their charm and sexual advances, the women also used sex and love as leverage to making men do whatever they want. This is the reason characters like Lucy (in Dracula) easily manipulates his three suitors. From these discussions, it can thus be said that violence, sex and love are, in one way or another, interrelated to each other. This, partially, explains the concurrent engagement in sex, love and violence (murder) inseparably by Marquis. Under the section of â€Å"Puss in Boots† in the Bloody Chamber, the violence against Signor Panteleone is viewed as a necessary action to secure the opportunity to engage in sex with the young woman. Many other instances such as in â€Å"the company of wolves† in the Bloody Chamber whereby the werewolf seduces the girl before eating her or when Puss’s master in â€Å"Puss in Boots† had sex with the young girl on the floor while a corpse lay in the bed which was just a few meters from them (Carter 2009). Conclusion In summary, these discussions underline the important influence of sex and sexuality in the classical times; just the same way it is today. In fact, the permissiveness in some of today’s societies in regard to practices such as homosexuality would have not come about had the idea not been proliferated by scholars such as Carter (Day, 2002). Also, the symbolism and projection of ancient mythologies in regard to creatures like vampires, Dracula and werewolves and their sexual mannerisms has contributed greatly to the world of horrors and horror movies, both in positive and negative ways. For instance, based on the need to prevent women from sexual aggressiveness, religions like Christianity were propagated. On the flipside, the liberation of women in terms of their freedom of expression not just in sexual ways, but a myriad of other arenas, contributed to some controversial s exual orientations such as lesbianism. In spite of all these, these literary works went a long way in serving the literary need at that regarding the balance of sexual occurrences at that time. For instance, the death of Lucy and the sparing of Mina symbolically signify the triumph in silencing of the aggressive lady and the continuity of the submissive Victorian woman- as required. List of References Carter, A 2009, The Bloody Chamber and other stories, Vintage: London. Carter, A 1979, The Sadeian woman, Virago: London. Craft, Christopher. â€Å"Gender and inversion in Dracula.† Dracula. Ed. Nina, A., and David, J. S 1997, Norton, New York. Day, W P 2002, Vampire legends in contemporary American culture: what becomes a legend most. University Press of Kentucky: Lexington. Dworkin, A 1974, Woman hating, Plume: New York. Masters, A 1972, Natural history of the vampire, Putnam: New York, NY. Norton, R 2000, Gothic readings: the first wave 1764-1840, Leicester University Press: London. Podonsky, A. M 2010, ‘Bram Stokers Dracula: a reflection and rebuke of Victorian society’. Web. Richards, C 2008, Forever young: essays on young adult fictions, Peter Lang: Grand Rapid. Roemer, D., and Bacchilega, C 2001, Angela Carter and the fairy tale, Wayne State University: Detroit. Simpson, H 2006, ‘Femme fatale’. Web. Stoker, B 2011, Dracula, Plain Label Books: Bel Air, CA. Warner, M 1995, From the beast to the blonde: on fairy tales and their tellers, Chatto Windus: London. Waters, K. V 1997, The perfect gentleman: masculine control in Victorian men’s fiction 1870-1901, Peter Lang Publishing: New York. Wright, D 1989, The Book of Vampires, Omnigraphics: Danbury.

Cinco Leyes Migratorias Fundamentales

Cinco Leyes Migratorias Fundamentales Las leyes migratorias de Estados Unidos regulan aspectos tan importantes y diferentes como la nacionalidad, la residencia permanente, las visas de no inmigrante, los castigos, los derechos y las responsabilidades. La materia migratoria es asunto federal, pero hay importantes aspectos que cada estado regula, asà ­ como acciones ejecutivas del presidente que afectan dichas normas, o reglamentos internos del Departamento de Estado o de Seguridad Interna y, de igual forma, sentencias acerca de inmigracià ³n dictadas por la Corte Suprema. Estas cinco leyes migratorias tienen gran alcance. Ley de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a  (Immigration and Nationality Act) Esta ley est en vigor desde 1952. Conocida tambià ©n como el McCarran- Warren Bill reside en Tà ­tulo 8 del U.S.C. (Cà ³digo de los Estados Unidos). Si bien ha sido enmendada en varias ocasiones, esta ley establecià ³ la estructura migratoria que aà ºn sigue en vigor. Sus puntos principales son: La adquisicià ³n de la ciudadanà ­a por nacimiento o por naturalizacià ³n. El buen carcter moral como requisito para la adquisicià ³n de la ciudadanà ­a por naturalizacià ³n. Las causas por las que una persona puede ser considerada inadmisible para ingresar a los Estados Unidos y, una vez en el paà ­s, deportada a su paà ­s de origen. Ley Hart-Celler Esta enmienda a la INA pone fin al sistema de emigracià ³n por cuotas segà ºn el paà ­s de origen. Hart-Celler establece un sistema de preferencias en el que la relacià ³n familiar, el talento y los conocimientos ayudan en el momento de solicitar el estatus migratorio. Se mantiene una cuota mxima por paà ­s dentro de cada categorà ­a y se establece que las personas que son familiares inmediatos de ciudadanos o los trabajadores comprendidos en la categorà ­a de especiales no estn sujetos a tal cuota por paà ­s. Este cambio revolucionario en el manejo de las cuotas dio origen a nuevas olas de inmigracià ³n provenientes de muchos paà ­ses diferentes. Ley de Control y Reforma Migratoria (Immigration Reform and Control Act) Esta ley tambià ©n conocida como Simpson- Mazzoli Act, se conoce popularmente como la amnistà ­a de Ronald Reagan. Gracias a esta se estima que unos tres millones de indocumentados pudieron regularizar su situacià ³n migratoria. La IRCA tambià ©n establecià ³ un mayor control en la frontera e hizo ilegal el hecho de contratar a sabiendas a un trabajador sin papeles. En la actualidad, los caminos para la legalizacià ³n de indocumentados existen, pero estas exigen requisitos estrictos y asà ­, en la prctica, es imposible para muchos inmigrantes poder resolver su situacià ³n. Ley de Responsabilidad Personal y Reconciliacià ³n de Oportunidad de Trabajo (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation) Aunque no es en sà ­ una legislacià ³n migratoria, esta ley tuvo un gran impacto sobre los inmigrantes. La PRWORA ha sido posteriormente enmendada y la normativa que aplica hoy se resume asà ­: Los inmigrantes de la tercera edad e incapacitados tienen acceso a Medicaid, cupones de alimentos y TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Los nià ±os residentes permanentes legales tienen acceso a cupones de alimentos.Los residentes permanentes legales que estn excluidos por ley federal de recibir acceso a servios sociales antes de cumplir los cinco aà ±os desde que obtuvieron la green card, pueden acceder a dichos servicios. Ley de Reforma de la Inmigracià ³n Ilegal y Responsabilidad Migratoria  (Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act) Esta ley de 1996, firmada por el presidente Bill Clinton cuenta con tres puntos que han tenido grandes consecuencias para la comunidad inmigrante: Permite la detencià ³n de inmigrantes por meses, e incluso hasta por dos aà ±os, antes de que vean a un juez migratorio.Posibilita los acuerdos entre las agencias federales, las estatales y las locales para la aplicacià ³n de las leyes migratorias (por ejemplo, en materia de arrestos).Crea el castigo de los tres y de los 10 aà ±os para los inmigrantes que estn ilegalmente en Estados Unidos. Leyes Migratorias Federales Recientes Ley de Inmigracià ³n de 1990: crea la categorà ­a de emigrante por visa de diversidad, es decir, la loterà ­a de green cards,  e incrementa el nà ºmero de trabajadores temporales. Ley de Ciudadanà ­a de Nià ±os de 2000: afecta a casos de adopcià ³n y tambià ©n al caso de adquisicià ³n automtica de ciudadanà ­a para hijos de un residente que se convierte en ciudadano. Ley de Reforma de Seguridad del 2002: incrementa el control fronterizo. Ley Real ID de 2005: altera quià ©n puede obtener la licencia de manejar; establece protocolos estrictos sobre quà © documentacià ³n se puede utilizar para ingresar a ciertos edificios o transportes, y altera el sistema de asilo.   Obamacare 2010 (Affordable Care Act): regula el acceso a la salud para el pà ºblico general. Este es un artà ­culo informativo, y no pretende ser asesorà ­a legal.

Now that we talked about the rise and fall of primary civilization Essay

Now that we talked about the rise and fall of primary civilization around the globe, discuss the factors or combinations of factors associated with the collapse of civilization - Essay Example Similarly, desertification which is a â€Å"serious environmental problem confronting the world† has always led to continued environmental degradation (Geist 4). The negative effects originating from desertification has been cited throughout the history to have contributed to the collapse of empires and civilization. This is owed to the fact that such conditions usually hamper communities practicing farming, agricultural production and also displaces the population thereby in the community. The other environmental factor that has caused collapse of civilization is deforestation. In most cases, deforestation occurs whenever there is cutting of trees for trees for timber, firewood and for manufacturing purposes which generally lower rainfall and cause soil infertility thereby making civilizations unstable to support itself and its people especially those that lived near the rivers. Political Factors: Historically, politics has played a significant role in the collapse of various world civilizations. For examples, through politics the barbarians managed to invert empires which in Frassetto’s view, was caused by â€Å"uncivilized people who began to pressure on† by causing war in the empire (33). Eventually, these people succeeded with their effort to invade and trespass the majestic frontiers thereby destroying the old civilization as a result of hatred. On the other hand, various political changes and reorganizations of political institutions that existed in different civilization cause a lot of stability thereby resulting to collapse of civilizations. Lack of well organized political institution to govern the society and maintain law and order meant disintegration of the societies that formed such civilizations. Social Factors: Historically, social unrest has been cited to have caused â€Å"collapse of rigid social orders† (Fagan 18). For instance, whenever

Purpose of Business Research and Business Research Proposal

Purpose of Business and Business - Research Proposal Example ging from a historically economic role, the business organization has evolved in response to social and political mandate of national public policy, rapid technology growth and revolution in global communication. The authors cited above have identified the following factors which characterize the complex business decision making environment. Moreover increasing concerns of general public about environment and changing geo-political scenario of the world are continuously exerting pressure on world economy. Consequently the managers have to make decisions in more complex environment Emory C. William (1985) has cautioned that the risks associated with decision making environment have been substantially increased. The complexity of decision making environment warn that decision makers making decisions without sound a priori justification based on research are treading on dangerous grounds. To do well in such an environment, we will need to understand how to identify quality information and to recognize solid research on which high risk decisions can be based. Managers will also need to know how to conduct research. Developing these skills requires understanding the scientific method as it applies to managerial decision making environment. Recent years have seen emergence of research concerned with the human relations aspects of business. Morals and attitude studies have been conducted for many years. Cooper Donald R. and Schindler Pamela S. and Emory C William have attempted to make clear demarcation between Applied and Pure research. They have categorically mentioned that Applied research has a practical problem-solving emphasis whereas pure research is conducted for the advancement of theories and knowledge. The demarcation remains no longer clear when we have to consider psychological, social and behavioral aspects in business research. In seeking insight from business research there are two main requirements of the analysis. First, to identify the various

Shakespeares Hamlet Essay: Observations on Gertrude -- GCSE Coursewor

And What of Gertrude in Hamlet?      Ã‚  Ã‚   To what extent does evil reign in the heart of Queen Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet? This essay will delve into her character, and into the deposit of literary criticism regarding her, in order to analyze her character in depth.    Philip Edwards’ â€Å"The Ghost: Messenger from a Higher Court of Values?† expresses the necessity of the Ghost leaving the guilt of Gertrude to the afterlife:    The final injunction, ‘Leave her to heaven’, must temper our feeling of the Ghost’s personal vindictiveness. It is more important, however, in giving a religious context to the punishment of Claudius and Gertrude. Gertrude’s earthly punishment is to be her conscience: ‘those thorns that in her bosom lodge / To prick and sting her’. Whatever further punishment or exoneration is hers to receive belongs to an after-life. With Claudius it is different. By his words ‘Leave her to heaven’, the Ghost must imply that a higher justice requires the exemplary punishment of Claudius on earth, by the hand of an appointed human being. (67)    At the outset of the tragedy Hamlet appears dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do not for ever with thy vailed lids   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seek for thy noble father in the dust:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Passing through nature to eternity. (1.2)    The queen obviously considers her son’s dejection to result from his father’s demise. Angela Pitt considers Gertrude â€Å"a kindly, slow-witted, rather self-indulgent woman. . . .† (47). She join... ...is Into' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24   http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Smith, Rebecca. â€Å"Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother?† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

Nature or Nurture Controversy

Developmental psychologists tell us that development is caused by two very extensive intermingling factors: heredity or nature, and environment or nurture. Often determining the demarcation line between these two factors, which directly or indirectly influences our biological and psychological constitution, is not an easy task. Nature speaks of the transmission of traits from parents to offspring through the genes which is universally known as heredity. This biological transmission of traits from one generation to another plays an important role in the determination of traits that are considered human and nonhuman. The biological structures, people inherit, at the same time, make people’s behavior possible. It is also these biological structures that limit human behavior (Hurlock, 1964). On the other hand, environment embraces all the influences that affect or shape man. The other process of development that occurs through the medium of the environment is called learning. There are more social or behavior scientists today who stand on the position that they adhere strictly neither to the nature nor to the nurture side. They are persuaded or tend to lean on an integrated or multi-dimensional approach. However, there have been specific areas in the study of human behavior that are being challenged on a continuous basis, and this includes subjects that aid to either the heredity or environment positions (Morris & Maisto, 1999). This short study attempts to provide evidences to the scientific inquiry that nurture influences early human development. It seeks to look into explicit observations already made, i.e., studies done that investigated the issue of nature and nurture. Discussion In general, it can be argued that all behavior reflects the influence of both nature and nurture. All organisms acquire or inherit a range of structures that set the stage for certain behaviors. Yet environmental influence such as nutrition and learning also help decide whether or not genetically possible behaviors will be displayed. The genius of such creative writers as C.S. Lewis or Stephen King may never appear should they have been reared in less fortunate circumstances without the privilege or opportunity of even writing and reading. Nurture especially during the early stages in the life span influences some of the arenas of human existence. The best illustration to this is in the aspect of intelligence. Many studies have been conducted to emphasize the role of environment and this is illustrated in the areas of research where scientists try to manipulate the initial milieu around which many young children are in jeopardy of developing poor intellectual functioning. These researches actually put stress or accentuate the preventive aspect instead of addressing the interventions that may be applied later on. A lot of families from below the poverty line reasonably, are not able to afford their children a cognitively motivating atmosphere. For this reason, majority of these children are even expected to perform below their capacity. It is arguably to the side of nurture in instances that intellectual functioning is compromised when the environment component is not maximized. Hence the reason that some of the government’s popular programs to address the problem are in place. They include such services as Head Start, which are confirmed effective strategies in developing the child’s intellectual capability (Ramey, 1989 in Halonen and Santrock, 1996, p. 280). Despite some of the controversies that surround the efficacy of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† spearheaded by President George W. Bush, the rationale following this public policy is the fact that children coming from inner cities and minority groups will be provided ample opportunities for cognitive development via government funding. Schools that do not perform at par with â€Å"productive ones† will be evaluated and funding consequently is affected. This raises up the standard of the schools especially their teachers. Whether this is fail-safe or not, is not the question here. However, this is a clear illustration that without any environmental intervention, children left to themselves may not develop competence or achieve their potential. Another evidence that point to the effect of environment on human development especially during the early years is based on observations or studies on parental abuse of children. According to research, the growth and development of a child is modified incessantly by the influences in the environment. The fact that maltreatment by parents over their children account for the vast differences of performance of school age children and many of the resulting disorders or maladjustment problems that are frequent problems encountered by educators, substantiates the claims of nurture or environmental influence (www.ipce.info/library_3/files/glaser/glaser_2.htm). Early childhood environment impacts the child’s cognitive ability is also shown in a study on the effects of nutrition in infancy and later cognition. Nutrients as provided by formula or any other supplement affect brain development significantly.   The study supports the hypothesis that optimum nutrition in infancy â€Å"has significant consequences for cognitive development (Lucas, 1998). Conclusion Nurture is perhaps the strongest alibi any person attributes to whenever things turn out not as good as they want them to be. We often make justifications why we tend to be mediocre; â€Å"because my parents did not try their very best to train me and provide for all that I need,† is our typical rejoinder. To what extent is this true, and where does the line end when it comes to personal responsibility, genetic predispositions, or the responsibility and accountability of people who exert immense influence on us? The argument postulated in this paper is not so much as â€Å"drawing the line† in as much as it has evidently proven the great impact of nurture on personality and/or human development in general. This paper pointed out exactly, that many of individual decisions and government policies are responses to the effects of environment to early human development, thus proving the hypothesis correct. Parental abuse and neglect have been issues in learning because these are factors that are vital to the child’s overall performance and normal functioning as they operate as kids and later as adults in the real world. This is also true with nutritional status of children in their growing years. Several studies have proven the effects of these factors that they are consciously observed among the educated parents; as much as possible, many actively pursue in avoiding the drastic effects of either deficiency. Indeed, the environmental changes that are constantly influencing children in their early stages are established in the scientific disciplines; this despite the many arguments to the contrary. Reference: 1. Environmental influences on brain development. Accessed    August 11, 2007. 2. Hilgard, ER, RR Atkinson, and RC Atkinson, 1983. Introduction to Psychology. 7th ed., New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich, Inc. 3. Hurlock, E.B, 1964. Child development. New York: McGraw-Hill    Book Company, Inc. 4. Lucas, A., 1998. â€Å"Randomised trial of early diet in preterm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   babies and later intelligence quotient.† British Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journal, British Medical group. Accessed August 12, 2007 5. Morris, Charles G. & Albert Maisto, 1999. Understanding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychology. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. P. 73. 6. Ramey as cited from Halonen, Jane S., and John Santrock.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychology: Contexts of   Ã‚  Ã‚   behavior. 1996. Brown & Benchmark,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   USA, p. 280.      

Taking a Look at Obesity - 822 Words

1.0 Introduction Obesity is occurring when heavy accumulation of fat in one’s body and it can increase the risk of infecting heart disease and diabetes. Obesity can be classified into 2 types. Type-1 obesity is caused by practicing an unhealthy lifestyle. It happens to one who does not want to exercise regularly and do not control his eating habits. Whereas, someone suffering from type-2 obesity is probably caused by his inherited genetic from his own family or may be medical conditions. For instance, hormonal imbalance such as hypothyroidism is also one of the causes which lead to obesity. Only about 1% of obese exists in type 2 obesity. The past research had shown that people in nationwide suffering from obesity are increasing year by year. This investigation is conducted to find out the methods to curb obesity from deteriorating the health of these people. 2.0 The recent increase of obesity and why this has happened Between 1980 and 2000, the obesity rate has doubled among adults in the United States (US). About 60 million adults, or 30% of the adult population, are now overweight. Similarly, since 1980, overweight rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents. The increasing obesity rate in these years is exposed to the health risks of obesity. The reasons why obesity rate among adults in US is high is because US citizens usually eat larger portion sizes of meals. 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