Non-Monetary Rewards in the Workplace

Managers of different industries and organizations have been finding ways to create a motivational workplace. Defining motivation, it is â€Å"that which gives impetus to our behavior by arousing, sustaining, and directing it toward the attainment of goals† (Wortman and Loftus, 1992 p.353). In order for a business organization to achieve its objectives, therefore, there should be some motivations in the workplace that will drive its employees to accomplish such objectives. Companies may aim to improve the quality and productivity of the business primarily for increased profitability. Personally, employees may have their own motivators that drive them to perform their jobs better. Older employees are motivated by the insurance and pensions they will get upon retirement while others are motivated by the increase in salary as the years of their stay in the company increases. What makes motivation very important is that when it has been very effective, the business and its workers will mutually benefit; that is they will both achieve their goals. For businesses, turn over rate will decrease and productivity may increase. What also makes it a hard task for the managers is that employees have different behaviors and attitudes towards work, thus different motivations are needed in order to satisfy the employees. The most common type of motivation is reward. Rewards are given to motivate employees to improve their performance or simply to avoid dissatisfaction among employees. Rewards may be monetary or non-monetary. The purpose of monetary rewards is to acknowledge employees’ excellent job through money. Money has been an effective motivator because people are motivated first by the desire to secure first-level needs of food and shelter for survival (Creech, 1995). Aside from that, one of the primary reasons why people work is to earn money and improve their economic status. Monetary rewards or incentives include salary increase, profit sharing, project bonuses, stock options and warrants, scheduled bonuses and additional paid vacation time (Ballentine et al, 2003 p.1). However, people’s needs are not only material things. There are also other needs that are needed to be satisfied such as the need to learn, to be challenged, to improve skills, improve social status, and the need for other opportunities. These needs are basically what make people self satisfied and fulfilled. Non-Monetary Rewards Non-monetary rewards are important employee motivators. As many people say, there are certain things that money cannot buy and these are sometimes more important to people. According to Kohn (1993 on Ballentine et al, 2003), monetary incentives encourage compliance rather than risk-taking because most rewards are based only on performance. On the other hand, non-monetary rewards are recognition of an excellent job which do not involve money but are still satisfying and motivating to employees with the purpose of creating opportunities to the employees. Non-monetary rewards include: (1) opportunity to learn, develop and advance as an employee; (2) flexible hours; (3) Recognition; (4) the opportunity to contribute; and (5) independence and autonomy (Anonymous, 2006). Opportunity to Learn, Develop and Advance The opportunity to learn, develop and advance can be considered as opportunity for growth. Creech (1995) describes growth as to the mental abilities of employees. Promotion is one means of growth but there are also other ways that employees can learn and grow aside from moving out of their current position. Training, for example, are provided to employees who have showed exemplary performance. Some companies even send their employees abroad for special seminars and trainings to further enhance their skills while other companies have provided scholarships and send their employees to universities to make them more educated. Another way of rewarding an employee is by giving him more complex and challenging tasks that will help improve his skills giving employees a certain feeling of achievement. Flexible Hours Having flexible hours is rewarding to employees in such a way that they can have more time with other obligations. It will be rewarding for good employees if they can have time for other important things such as the family, a part-time job, hobbies and social life. Even the most dedicated employees may feel like slaves and may lose interest with their jobs if all their time will be spent working for the company alone but those who can have time for their selves can be more enthusiastic. Recognition It is very important for an employee’s excellent job to be appreciated and recognized. Recognition as a reward should be earned directly through the job (Creech, 1995) and must be in the form of merit so that employees know efforts are being observed and appreciated by management (Anonymous, 1994). Recognition may be in the form of â€Å"pat in the back†, verbal praise, or written praise (in the form of letter or certificate). There are even some companies that announce the reward publicly by holding ceremonies annually or quarterly in recognition of outstanding employees such as awards for the most prolific employees, the most loyal, most innovative and so on. In this way, employees are more motivated knowing that their good performances are recognized. Opportunity to Contribute Employees feel rewarded when they know that they have good contributions in the workplace. They can even more contribute to the organization when they are given more responsibilities and when they know that their contributions are being valued. This reward involves having to work in a team, working closely with the people in the upper level of the business organizations such as the management, and having your ideas being heard and considered with regards to the decisions made in the company. This kind of reward is commonly given to innovative and creative employees who always have new ideas to contribute to product development and productivity. Independence and Autonomy Exemplary employees are usually given the independence and autonomy because the management trusts them that can accomplish their jobs without supervision and help of others. This reward is commonly given to employees who are good in decision making, can handle pressure and can finish the job on time effectively. It is a rewarding and comfortable feeling for an employee when there is no supervisor or other employees that always looks after his works while employers can save time and money when they have workers who can work independently. Conclusion Although monetary rewards have been traditionally effective as a motivator in a workplace, non-monetary rewards are also important in meeting the other needs of the employees. Non-monetary rewards satisfy and eliminate unhappiness in the workplace by providing employee self-fulfillment, growth, and a feeling of achievement, making them more motivated to perform their jobs better. Therefore, in a workplace, there should be a balance of monetary and non-monetary rewards which motivates employees in different effective ways. References: Anonymous (1994) Personnel Practices/Communications. Human Resources Management. Chicago: Commerce Clearing House Inc., Anonymous, Top Five Non Monetary Items Employees Want in a Workplace Retrieved online on October 12, 2006 http://www.recognitionrewards.com/top_five_items.htm Ballentine, Andrew, McKenzie, Nora, Wysocki, Allen & Kepner, Karl (2003), The Role of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives in the Workplace as Influenced by Career Stage, EDIS, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Creech, Regina (1995), Employee Motivation, Management Quarterly, Volume 36, Issue 2 Wortman, Camille B. and Elizabeth F. Loftus. (1992) Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Essay Social Security

Social Security Issue The current Social Security system should be replaced by a mandatory private pension system. The current system entails workers being forced to give a certain percentage of money out of their pay checks to Social Security. This tax money is used to pay benefits to retired people, disabled people, survivors of workers who have died, and dependents of beneficiaries (SSA). To most, this system sounds unfair because workers put in hours of labor for a paycheck that religiously has money taken out for someone else’s retirement, disability, etc. however, people for this system believe this benefits everyone because workers are not in control of their own specific retirement fund so poor decisions cannot be made. In reality, people should be able to control the fate of their own retirement funds because they can decide when the money is necessary, which can be done by making the change to a private pension system. The current Social Security system creates a lot of concern because of the accelerating demographic factors (NCPA). Life expectancy is increasing faster than expected — in 1940, a 65-year-old man could expect to live another 12 years, today it's 15 years; the fertility rate is falling faster than expected — from 3. 6 children for a typical woman of child-bearing age in 1960 to just two today; and the elderly portion of the population is expected to rise from 12 percent today to 20 percent by 2050 — increasing the number of retirees from 34 million to 80 million† (NCPA).The decreasing working population combined with the rising elderly population means the number of elderly people needing benefits will be greater than the number of working people providing the money for those benefits (NCPA). Because of these statistics, the favor for a private pension system is growing so workers can save their taxes for their individual retirements.With a private pension system as opposed to the current, honored system , the working class has more control over their retirement funds because for one, they would be earning the money for themselves, and two, the money would be in a private account for them. With the money accumulating in a private account, it is not exposed to risk. â€Å"These federally regulated personal accounts would allow individuals to invest only in diversified, approved utual funds and not in single stocks or highly volatile stocks† (Procon). In addition to its added personal safety, a private system would help the economy. â€Å"Privatizing Social Security into individual investment accounts would boost economic growth by injecting money back into America's failing financial system† (Procon). With the economic growth this would cause, there could be a possible decrease in unemployment rates, pulling the economy out of the current recession.In conclusion, the switch from the current Social Security system to a mandatory private pension system is ideal not only f or the working class, but also for the environment. Even with the criticism that a private pension system would tempt workers to make poor decisions with their retirement funds, people should have control over the money they make and be able to determine their own fate. Working for a paycheck that loses a percentage of its total to be given to the current retirees, the disabled, etc. s unfair and will discourage the working class. A private pension system that will actually save an individual’s own money will be more motivating to work towards and will better prepare him or her for their elderly years. Works Cited NCPA. â€Å"Social Security Problems Accelerating. † NCPA. org. National Center for Policy Analysis, 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. . Procon. â€Å"Privatize Social Security. † Procon. org. Procon, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. . SSA. â€Å"Social Security. † Ssa. gov. Social Security Administration, Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. .

The Symbolism and Narration of Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds”

Amy Tan demonstrates a child’s struggle for identity in her story â€Å"Two Kinds†. This essay analyses the writing techniques Tan uses in order to express the struggle between parent and child; in which the child is struggling to have her own identity. Typical in Asian cultures, Tan describes the parents’ desire for a child prodigy through strict discipline and expected child obedience. Living in America exposes Jing-mei to American influence. Jing-mei’s mother however spent the majority of her life in China, and expects her child to behave as she would had she been raised in China. This essay depicts American cultural influence as one way to explain Jing-mei and her mother’s contrasting views; the main idea of this essay however is to demonstrate Tan’s use of symbolism and narration to depict the traditional struggle between parent and child. Amy Tan uses the main character, Jing-mei to represent the typical American pre-teen who is determined to break free from her mother’s uncontrollable need to make her a prodigy. Jing-mei is a rounded main character which the reader is able to watch grow emotionally throughout the story; her need to be herself and defend her position is an important theme throughout â€Å"Two Kinds†. Tan uses the first person narration to draw the reader in personally to JIng-mei and what she is experiencing. The reader can hear Jing-mei’s thoughts and disappointments. The minor character, Jing-mei’s mother, is a flat character in comparison to her daughter. The reader is unable to really know what the mother is thinking because of Tan’s use of second person narration. To help the reader understand the mother’s actions, Tan describes the mother’s history briefly discussed within the first page of the story. Using an important writing technique, Tan gives the reader a look into the mother’s painful history; enough for the reader to understand the mother’s motives as they watch her drill her daughter on popular American trivia facts and not stopping even after Jeing-mei protests. The opening line of â€Å"Two Kinds† is especially important to understanding the mother’s motives. Jing-mei, the narrator tells the audience, â€Å"my mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America† (468). This sentence describes the hopes and dreams of Jing-mei’s mother. Tan goes on to explain the mother’s perception of America; she believes America is the answer to all their problems. The readers are not told what happened to her remaining family in China, but it resulted in death and that is enough for the reader to sympathize with the mother and her controlling behavior. The narrator, JIng-mei, gives the audience an understanding of the mother’s motives; this understanding is important in order for Tan to communicate her message of a daughter-mother relationship. The reader has the advantage of knowing the mother’s reasoning for pushing Jing-mei to be the best; Jing-mei however, does not. By using first person narration, the reader experiences Jing-mei’s frustration at being made to perform against her will. In the beginning of â€Å"Two Kinds† however, Jing-mei is excited at the prospect of being famous. Jing-mei thinks, â€Å"in all of my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon be perfect;† the reader almost feels sorry for the little girl; for many adults can sympathize. Many people can remember a time of innocence when they thought they could do anything, that they could be the perfect child their parents imagined them to be. This need to fill a parent’s high expectations is cause for harsh disappointment as Jing-mei discovers. After witnessing her mother’s disappointment; anger begins to burn inside Jing-mei at having to perform ridiculous tests. This rage turns to an inner protest; Tan portrays this rebellion as Jing-mei’s disinterest in test questions. Even after her mother goes through trouble of trading house cleaning for piano lessons, Jing-mei puts in minimal effort. This child rebellion is common in American children; rather than risking being a disappointment, Jing-mei protects her feelings by acting as if she doesn’t care. Tan writes of Jing-mei’s private protest, â€Å"so now on nights when my mother presented her tests, I performed listlessly, my head propped on one arm. I pretended to be bored. And I was† (470). Jing-mei became her own prodigy. The story’s title, â€Å"Two Kinds†, is a description of the theme of the story. The title of Tan’s story is a symbol of the two generations and two cultures depicted in â€Å"Two Kinds†. The mother is from China, with Chinese traditions and Jing-mei was raised in America, influenced by America’s culture; where children had more say and questioned their parents’ judgments as Jing-mei finally did when she accused her mother of wanting her to be a genius. There is a distinct gap between mother and daughter as seen in both generational and cultural differences. The most important use of symbolism in â€Å"Two Kinds† is the piano. The piano becomes the link between Jing-mei and her mother; although this is not clear to Jing-mei during childhood. Jing-mei is angered by being forced to play the piano and purposely doesn’t take it serious; much like the way Jing-mei does not take her mothers dreams for a prodigy serious. Underlying the rebellion Jing-mei demonstrates during her piano lessons; she finds the chance to play in a talent show exiting; her excitement reveals that small part of her that still wants to please her mother and be the little prodigy her mother hopes for. Jing-mei describes her childish excitement to make her mother proud, she says, â€Å"When my turn came, I was very confident. I remember my childish excitement. It was as if I knew, without a doubt, that the prodigy side of me really did exist† (474). Tan accurately portrays a child’s inner desire to please her parent, as she writes of Jing-mei’s sudden excitement. All Jing-mei’s protests were forgotten and she had a chance to make her mom proud. Tan’s narrative style allows the reader to see the full extent of Jing-mei’s emotional growth. The narrator is Jing-mei as an adult, looking back at this specific time of her childhood in refection. It isn’t until she is an adult that she can appreciate what her mother was trying to accomplish during her childhood. The narrator realized that everything changed after the disastrous recital. Her mother’s dreams seemed to fade after JIng-mei demonstrated what she had learned throughout her lessons. Tan showed a mother’s unconditional love for her child by the mother insisting that Jing-mei continue her lessons even after the recital fiasco. While it may seem that the mother was extremely controlling, making the child continue with lessons she did not want; the reader can interpret this as a mother who does not give up on her child; a mother who is determined to show her child that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. The piano remains a symbol for the relationship between Jing-mei and her mother. After things escalate and Jing-mei speaks out against her mother, wishing she weren’t her daughter, the piano remains unused. Tan uses this opportunity to fast forward to all the future disappointments she causes her mother.   The piano continues to be a link between mother and daughter when the mother asks Jing-mei to take it on her thirtieth birthday; and encourages her to try it again by complimenting on her quick learning ability. This opened the door to a new understanding in their relationship. All of a sudden the piano became a symbol of Jing-mei’s acceptance by her mother and herself. Jing-mei as an adult appreciates what her mother had done for her as a child. The fondness she suddenly has for the piano that brought her such frustration and embarrassment symbolizes the acceptance of herself and of the truth behind her mother’s pushy but well meaning behavior. The piano symbolizes the mother-daughter bond which is tested during childhood but strengthens in time with understanding. In conclusion, Tan uses first person narration to give the reader a more intimate experience with the characters. The symbolism used in â€Å"Two Kinds† portrays the classic struggle between mother and daughter; a daughter seeking her own identity and a mother wanting the best for her daughter. â€Å"Two Kinds† addresses the pain that family can bring upon one another but also the forgiveness and understanding that can be reached between loved ones.         

Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Statistics - Essay Example if electronics’ price was measured in pounds). Since we have the same units for all the goods, we should use the ratio of aggregate prices. (c) Since we have fixed number of observations (random sample size is 16) the sample distribution is binomial. The Central Limit Theorem allows us to use approximate binomial distribution with the normal distribution when operating with large values of N. We can approximate binomial distribution with the normal distribution assuming that the whole number of steel coils is much larger than 16 (then the finite population correction will be close to one). (b)Confidence intervals give us the information that we can say with 90% of accuracy that the change between proportion is between 0.003 and 0.059. From this we can conclude that the proportion has slightly increased. (c) Sampling error can impact on the results of this study. There may be serious differences from sample to sample because the sampling technique used was simple random sampling. Additionally, non-response error can also influence the results of the study, since not all the drivers within the sample will admit using the cell phone. If we are to assume that all the drivers answer honestly then this error will not influence the results. (ii) If the null hypothesis is not true, then we can state that the productivity of exercisers is higher on average than that of non-exercisers. However reasons of this difference are not clear and require additional research. (b) Cluster sampling is about clusters, into which the whole population is divided. After that all units within the selected clusters are measured. Like cluster sampling stratified sampling also implies the division of the population into subgroups. However in stratified sampling they do not overlap and simple random sampling is implemented within each strata (subgroups). Due to dividing into subgroups every important strata is presented in the final sample. Additionally cluster

Convenience Cookware case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Convenience Cookware - Case Study Example It is also important for the company to pre-test the products before manufacturing them for the market. In this case, the company made a blunder to manufacture a lot of products before testing them if they are suitable for the market. The company should produce a manageable batch of products at a time such that it can take proactive measures should any crisis happen. For instance, it is easy to recall defective product in small quantities than large quantities as illustrated in the case study of Convenience Cookware. The above argument goes in line with inventory management. The company should make sure that they stock current assets in the form of products on offer that can be quickly converted into cash. Basically, current assets are in form of cash and other assets that can be converted into cash or consumed during one year on the normal operating cycle of business (Chasteen, Flaherty & O’connor, 1998). The acquisition of inventory and converting it into cash should be a short period hence the current assets should not be overstocked as illustrated in the case study given above. Overstocking inventory is always problematic in that it may not be sold out during the anticipated period which can negatively impact on the return on sales to the company. The other change that can be made by the company is to use Public Relations (PR) in its operations especially in times of crises such as the one revealed in the case study. Basically, PR refers to sustained effort to create and maintain goodwill between the organization and its publics (Flippo, 1961). This discipline can also be used for crisis management so as to try to create a positive image of the organization. During times of crises, PR can be used to present the firm in a positive way which can help to rebuild confidence in the consumers. It is important for the company to carry out research about the causes of such problems in the future. This will be followed by an

Energy Conservation Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Energy Conservation - Lab Report Example The gravitational potential energy of an object refers to the energy an object possesses due to its location relative to a reference point. Considering an object close the Earth’s surface the gravitational potential energy is given as (Cutnell et al. 18) Where g is the gravitational acceleration, m is the mass if the object and y are the vertical position of the object relative to an arbitrary reference point. The following graphical plot illustrates the variation of kinetic and potential energy of the oscillating systems studied in this lab For a swinging pendulum (oscillatory system) there is the constant conversion of energy to kinetic energy, potential energy and back to kinetic energy however the total energy at any given time is always a constant. The energy stored in compressed springs or elastic objects is another form of potential energy that is mathematically given as (Cutnell et al. 25). Notably, when there is no energy input into the system, the total mechanical energy will remain constant. The linear plot shown in the printout shows the constancy of mechanical energy with time defined by same slope over given time. Using the K/m and y values shown in the table of results above the following graphical plot was obtained that shows the relationship between the K/m and the vertical displacement Using the Excel graphical plot above the gravitational acceleration was evaluate because for an oscillating system like a pendulum maximum potential energy (maximum displacement) is experienced when the kinetic energy is at a minimum. Equally maximum kinetic energy for a simple pendulum corresponds to the point where there is minimum vertical displacement. At the point where K/m is equal to zero, the potential energy of the system is at a maximum this corresponds to the point where the value of the arbitrary displacement is 0.1089. The potential energy per unit mass at this point

Heroine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Heroine - Assignment Example Remarkably, the differences between the sexes are extraneous; what matters are the roles played by individuals. For instance, the female Mulan joins the battlefield and fights on her father’s account. The arty chap Xu Wei illuminates how Mulan profusely participates in the war and records a splendid performance despite being a woman. Mulan sounds badass and controversial. She appears at the war as a man, fights, wins, and goes back to carry on weaving roles that were perceived to be relished by women. Undoubtedly, her physic was that of a woman but not even her comrades could realize that she was a woman; a clear evidence that the body cannot simply be used to define gender. The line raises the question of identity, inequality, and being real to oneself in the facade of execution and persecution. Despite her sex, she participates in unlikely activities, a factor that makes her appear as though concealing her identity and true self. This is over and above the modest question of

The star of David Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The star of David - Essay Example The first historical evidence of Star of David is referred to the third century A.D. and it was found on the tombstone in Italian city of Taranto. In literature it's not mentioned until the twelfth century A.D. and it was first found only in the Eshkol ha-Kofer of the Karaite Judah Hadassah (12th century literary Hebrew piece): Hebrew historians note that the Star of David appeared on Jewish amulets approximately in the twelfth century. It was signed on amulets on the hand with other symbols such as pentagrams, stars, the name of god in Hebrew, etc. Nevertheless it's very interesting and probably strange that pentagram, not the hexagram (the Star of David) was mostly spread in magic symbols and attributes of Jewish cult. Scientists and archeologists are not even sure if the Star of David had any similar origins in any culture of ancient Mediterranean: Hellenic or Coptic. Some of historians assume that it might be primary used by Jewish sect of Kabbalah which adopted hexagram from Templars. Jewish sect of kabala uses David star as amulets placing it in glass spheres or using it simply as an amulet and sigh. The spread of usage of Star of david begins in the 14th century in Jewsih communities of Europe. It's a well-known fact that the Star of david was used as decoration on Tanakh of Rabi Rabbi Yoseph bar Yehud ben Marvas from Toledo, Spain. The function of Star of David in synagogues was to carry protective magic powers against evil. It also becomes the element of architectural ensemble in synagogues. Hexagrams are found in ornaments of cathedrals in Brandenburg and Stendhal, but it's interesting that in the ancient Jewish temple of Tell Hum it's not present and pentagram is present on its walls instead. It's a historical fact that the Czech king of bohemia Charles IV issued the red flag with Shield of David to Juwish community of Prague in 1354. But Jews of Hungary had a red flag with pentacles. So it would be inaccurate to talk about hexagram as the symbol of Judaism and Jews back then. Moreover the majority of people in Middle Ages associated Jews with menorah rather than with another symbol of their identity. The choice of hexagram according to modern rabbis was not sudden, as Bible scriptures have enough evidence that salvation will be associated with star. No wonder that geometric figure close to star was chosen for the role now played by the Star of David. As it was mentioned above Torah tells that, the Messiah, will have association with star, symbolizing coming new era. And according to Old Testament Balaam had foretold the coming salvation of the people of Israel n following scriptures: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star (Heb. Cochav) shall come forth from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth. Numbers 24:17" (from Kasdan, Barney THE STAR OF DAVID http://www.kehilatariel.org/tract002.html) As for the meaning of the Star of David it's different for Judaists and for those who observe the cult of Kabala. Rabi describe its meaning as the symbol of unity with god: "In

Annotated Bibliography for Preventive Computer Medicine

For Preventive Computer Medicine - Annotated Bibliography Example He recommends that the enhanced features and additional protections offered by paid-for versions are worth the extra money. One reason consumers don’t protect their computers properly is that they feel shelling out money for anti-virus software is a scam or too painful on the budget, so this article supports my recommendation of using paid-for scanning software. This is an extremely short article but does make some interesting recommendations, such as carefully researching freeware, dashboard add-ons, and screensavers before downloading them. If the company does not pass the research test or other users have experienced problems, those programs should be avoided. Garcia recommends taking a proactive approach to infections by using the most cutting-edge software to prevent rather than cure computer infections. He notes that integrated systems are probably better than standalone software. This article helps to shape my recommendation that preventing computer problems is an overall approach, even though that requires more attention and management from the end user. A series of good tips for avoiding crashes, bugs and virus problems, including the typical advice of using the most up to date antivirus software, carefully checking all incoming files and links, and creating system backups. Good basic support opinion for several points in my essay. Short article containing almost the same tips as several others, but does give the web addresses of a few resources that warrant further investigation for this essay such as the US Department of Energy’s Hoaxbusters page and the Computer Associates Virus Encyclopedia. Historical background for the beginning of computer virus era. Jelinski presents a simplified overview of the origins of viruses and how to avoid them. This is relevant to my essay because the article presents the same simple advice given for the past 12 years.     

Monsters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Monsters - Essay Example As history depicts, monsters were separated from the society of humans since the ancient times. However, other people have described monsters as being fictitious and nonexistent. This is where by; monsters were described in accordance to the characteristic of a person. For instance; most were described from words such as horrible, weird, wild and inhuman. Still, some people believe that monsters are real and present in the society. However, it has been noted that it is rare to see a gigantic, hideous creature manifesting itself as a monster (Williams, 13). This is because; monsters are believed to take different forms. For instance; some wild cats have been taken to be monsters in some societies due to their ugly features. Other societies associate bats with monsters and hence are put at the edge of the society. In addition, different people have been heard say that they have seen evil spirits, which appear as shadows or appear in dreams and nightmares. Therefore, indeed monsters hav e a meaning and an implication in the society since; human beings have believed that they are there, and they have obtained different translations of them. Function Most of the theories and manifestations of monsters appear in cinemas, horror movies, and fictitious stories. In these movies, monsters usually appear as being very real and very present among humans. Some of the movies also show monsters as helpful creatures that notify human of any unforeseen dangers. In addition, the movies also give a notation of existence of communication between human and the monsters. However, in the real world there is very limited interaction between monsters and human beings. In the real world, humans are very scared and afraid of monsters and cannot even stand them. In addition, monsters are believed to be carnivores in the real world and thus they cannot interact with them since, humans are afraid of the fact that they might be harmed by these creatures (Williams, 34). In addition, in the real world monsters are also destructive. They function by getting everything they desire by use of force and fight. Monsters also destroy property and interfere with th e peace of humans. In the real world, monsters are also associated with appearing in the night or in dark places. They are believed to avoid light or overcrowded places where they might be spotted by humans. Humans also associate monsters with supernatural powers, such as ability to appear and disappear in a place, or ability to deform or change their shapes. They are also believed to possess a lot of strength and might that can destroy a whole building. Example Different scholars have researched on the true existence of monsters in the real world and have come up with results showing that monsters indeed exist and live among human (Scott, 34). The studies also show that for the past ninety years zombies existed among humans. These creatures were found to be the animated dead representing greater danger to the survival of humans, than a mere corpse. The research also provides that zombies show no favoritism and exercise no judgment (Scott, 35). Mason asserts that monsters came about through the belief by the ancient people that during their long distance trade journeys, they would meet terrifying and mysterious creatures. Therefore, people started imagining creatures such as giants, vampires and ghosts. Since the people were completely convinced that the creatures would try to destroy them, they brought in the idea that monsters were scary creatures that were to be feared (Mason, 7). Negation Although some scholars assert that monsters indeed exist, other scholars have noted that monsters don’t really exist (Mason, 4). They assert that monst

Counseling African Americans Essay Example for Free

Counseling African Americans Essay Sue and Sue’s Chapter 14 Counseling African Americans spends a great deal of effort exploring cultural particulars and corresponding clinical implications while working with African Americans; factors such as family dynamics, educational orientation, spirituality, and the pressures and stress of racism and marginalization. This offered me perspective through a lens much broader than my own somewhat narrow, predominantly white, and fairly privileged way of relating to the world. Before understanding culturally appropriate interventions, one must have an understanding of the cultural context or the cultural word of an individual. For me, this first means that differences must be noted, either literally in relationship with the African American client or simply as a clinical observation I make on my own. Of course the difference in the two will depend on the client, context, and general relevancy in the moment. In my own experience, noting racial difference aloud with a client has been most helpful in that it gives permission for the potentially â€Å"taboo† topic of race and differences to be considered, brought into the space at a later time, and even into the forefront of consciousness. Apart from the explicit therapeutic relationship, noting difference is a personal reminder that I am no expert on anyone’s experience but my own, I may make mistakes (and probably will), I should steer clear of assumptions, it’s ok to be curious, and to do my homework. Once a general understanding of differences is established, then one can begin to consider appropriate therapeutic interventions. Let’s take the issue of racism and discrimination; the byproduct of these atrocities oftentimes manifests as defense and survival mechanisms in Black Americans. Which can lead to a general mistrust or as it’s stated (by Sue and Sue) a â€Å"healthy cultural paranoia†, as a way of coping. This mistrust can be of individuals, entire races of people, the government, social service providers†¦ With this in mind, it’s important to determine what the client’s feelings and understandings about therapy are. To touch base and explain what kind of therapy I engage in, how it can be helpful to them, and what can be expected of our time together. Hopefully this will help to assuage uneasy feelings of fear of the unknown or mistrust, as well as set up a foundation for a healthy therapeutic alliance. Although Sue and Sue’s Afrocentric perspective can be helpful it can also simultaneously be viewed as reductive. It’s important not to discount individual differences by universalizing traits of African Americans. Self cannot be defined as a unitary concept evolving from a single defining variable, such as race or gender (Williams, 1999). For instance, not all women are nurturing, caring, and relational. Similarly, not all African Americans possess an African ethos of communalism or spirituality. Race, class, sexual orientation, and gender are all complex interactive components that make up the self. To approach a client through the lens of only one of these variables, means potentially silencing a central component of their identity. Additionally, it is also necessary to consider an internal state without regard to the social demands of each variable. Collectively, these considerations can aide to a more holistic view when working with African American clients. Part Two After spending a year in practicum at the SF county jail, I feel as though I’ve had a fairly decent introduction to working with African American females. When I began practicum I had had very little training in diversity or cross-cultural counseling. Turns out that a year in the jail was one large training in diversity and cross-cultural counseling! Now I’m able to pin my personal experience against the readings and gauge my success as a culturally competent therapist. When assessing my strengths, I find that I possess a keen and tremendously empathic understanding of how the stress of racism, sexism, and oppression can manifest in African American women. Oftentimes the byproduct of this stress is what brings the individual to jail. As a clinician, I can confidently say that I am able to enter the therapeutic relationship with a greater capacity for empathy because of this understanding and build a strong alliance as an ally as well as a therapist. I’m not afraid to make mistakes and have no attachment to being â€Å"right†; these qualities will only support me as a clinician. In addition, my upfront demeanor and willingness to self-disclose have had a remarkable impact on the therapeutic relationship. My empathy is strongly with women and their plight of identifying and addressing all the â€Å"isms† that stand between them and equality, wholeness, and health. Frequently, those â€Å"isms† are at the hands of men and I certainly have a bias towards this, and towards men in general. It’s no accident that I spent an entire year of practicum working solely with women; although it wasn’t a conscious choice, I believe on some level I chose not to work with men. I have incredible biases towards men as perpetrators and oppressors and men and their privilege, African American men as well as Caucasian. These biases keep me terrified at the thought of working with male clients. I imagine heaps and heaps of countertransference between male clients and myself; countertransference that is full of pain and rage. I’m not sure that I have much to offer men inside the therapeutic space. I don’t believe this to be my â€Å"final answer†, I just know that I have some work to do around my relationship with men before I make the leap of working with them in such sacred space. Essentially, it all comes down to two core qualities- and they are humility and flexibility; humility in all that I think I know and the flexibility to shift or discard that knowledge. My experience of working with, knowing, and reading about African American culture, difference, and oppression may or may not serve me as a therapist at any given moment. What works for and makes sense in the context of Client A, may not be so for Client B, and vise versa. Although it is crucial to have fundamental knowledge of the legacy of oppression against African American people and to consider factors such as interdependence, collectivism, and emotional vitality as presumed long- standing black personality traits, I must also be able to draw connections between those factors and the individual experience- much like the womanist techniques mentioned in Carmen Braun Williams’ article African American Women, Afrocentrism and Feminism: Implications for Therapy. As a therapist, I am responsible for guiding and supporting the client in making the shift from object to subject; transferring ownership of self from one whose self is externally determined to one who is self- determining (Freire, 1990). And practice practice practice, with an open heart, ears, and mind. References Braun Williams, C. (1999). African American women, afrocentrism and feminism: Implications for therapy. Women Therapy, Vol. 22(4) 1999. Freire, P. (1990). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum. Sue, D. Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice, Chapter 14.

Salem Witch Trials Essay Example for Free

Salem Witch Trials Essay Other people say it started on the night of the devouring. The repercussions of this event can still be felt globally. The suspicion of witch craft in Salem Village, Massachusetts began in January 1692 when a group of girls began to act strangely (The Salem Witch Trials, eyewitness to history). The town could not explain the seizures, random screaming, and trance states that affected the girls. The doctors were summoned in to examine the girls but could not find cause of the behaviour. The community reasoned that it must be the work of Satan. Witches had invaded Salem. The girls were given a trial then later were put to death. After this many of the people of Salem were accused of witch craft,some were burned while others were hung (First Salem witch hanging). They were not given fair trial. Nobody was sure where the witch craft started or how it came about but some of the older towns people said that the magic was always there it just had not been activated by the right person yet (Blumburg). They thought that the right person must of came along and that it had to be a new person in town and somebody who had the power of getting other people to help in witchcraft. The only logical person who they could think of that fit this description was Martha Corey. (First Salem witch hanging) The Trial of Martha Corey was on Friday March 11, 1692 it was a day of fasting and prayer in Salem. The accusation shocked those who heard it because Martha Corey (Good wife Corey) was a new but upstanding member of the community. Immediately a somebody was sent to the Corey farm to question Martha hoping to clear her name. Martha Coreys sarcastic response to her being accused caused her immediate arrest. In the courtroom Maratha’s accusers writhed in agony as they were forced by an unseen power to mimic the witchs every movement. When Martha shifted her feet they did too,when Martha bit her lip they were compelled to. On, Monday, the 21st of March,the magistrates of Salem appointed to come to examination of Good wife Corey. And about twelve of the clock they went into the meeting house,which was thronged with spectators. Mr. Noyes began with a very pertinent and pathetic prayer, and Good wife Corey being called to answer to what was alleged against her, she desired to go to prayer, which was much wondered at, in the presence of so many hundred people. The magistrates told her they would not admit it; they came not there to hear her pray, but to examine her in what was alleged against her. The worshipful Mr. Hawthorne asked her why she afflicted those children. She said she did not afflict them. He asked her, Who did then? She said, I do not know; how should I know? † (Lawson) Martha was portraying that she had no clue as to what was going on and that she was being accused of something that she did not do. But if Martha truly was innocent then why would she not pray and why would she not fight and show more passion that she was not a witch. Some of the people in the town started to come forward and telling things about Martha, because they believed she was a witch crop failures or infant deaths -local villagers were quick to accuse each other of witchcraft (Milton). They would say that she has a book of spells and that she tried to convince young girls into doing magic with her, the younger the girls were the easier it would be to harvest their magic. Others would say that she had a little yellow bird that she would put in her hand and kill then she would bring it back to life to show how much power she actually had. Nobody actually had proof that Martha was a witch and that she was in fact practising witch craft. (Salem witch trials) From the late 15th century to the late 18th century a wave of persecution washed across parts of Europe. Tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft. But what happened? Belief in magic was almost universal in the past. Almost all cultures believed that you could use supernatural means to help hunting or to make your crops grow better or to make humans or animals more fertile (Lambert). But you could not use magic to heal humans and animals (Lambert). For most people who lived before the 18th century magic was an ordinary part of everyday life. To them the world was a mysterious and frightening place. They did not know what caused diseases and sickness so they would sometimes assume it was something supernatural. The people of the 16th century would use what they thought magic in their everyday lives to try to make things better for themselves , but when people started thinking that humans were using magic on other living things that’s when magic started being considered evil and a bad thing (Lambert). People who believed in magic the thought that your enemies could use magic to harm you was terrifying. Most people in the 16th century believed that God had an enemy called the Devil, who was very powerful. They believed that witches made a pact or agreement with the Devil and agreed to worship and serve him. When people were being accused of witch craft they were not given a fair trial. They did not use evidence they did not give you a voice,if somebody said you were a witch then you must be a witch (Lambert). The history of witch craft is so great that nobody is really sure what actually happened. There are many theories as to what actually happened , some say that witches started coming to earth and taking over human bodies when the devouring night started. On the night of the devouring or otherwise called sorry night, otherwise know as Halloween, is when witches come down from their world and inhabit the people who are scared(Holt). They take over the scared humans because they are alone and have no way of defending themselves , their minds are essentially open and easy to take over(Holt). They take over their bodies and then the witches have a vessel which they can perform their magic from. The witches who take over the human body make it so the human that was already in the body feel like they are asleep. The witch will inhabit your thoughts and your past and they will act like the person they took over as much as they could(Holt). A witch would sometimes slip up and their magic would start to show or they would be caught,in some cases they would get caught without even realizing it. The longer a witch is in a body the harder it would be for their magic if it was evil to start showing. When a witch would get caught performing magic back in the 16th century they had no way to escape the human because the only day they can enter or leave body is on October thirty first or if the human is illed. When human was hung the witch could stay around and inhabit another body but when the body was burned the witch died with it. It took a long time for people to realize what was happening. It was one of the most logical reasons to how witches could come about. (Holt) In some cases female witches were treated a lot worse than male witches were. Female witches were usually beaten and their houses wo uld be raided then burned down they then would be hung or burned and sometimes even both depending on how strong they thought the witch was (Lyons). In rare cases men witches were kept alive because priests would try to save them and get extract their magic so they could use it for their own purposes(Lyons). Once the priests were done with the male witches if they still believed they were witches they would be killed and their belongings would be burned(Lyons). Because of the Salem witch trials , thousands globally lost friends and family members over the suspicion of being witches and doing harm. People would be killed if they were a good witch or a bad witch,innocent or guilty, proof or no proof. If somebody was thought to be a witch then you were going to be killed. A group of people the descendants of people who were killed in the trials , otherwise known as the Salem five started a petition for their ancestors names to be cleared and know that they were not witches and that they were killed when they were innocent (American Heritage). It was a long fight for there names to be cleared but in the end they eventually got their names cleared and they got their names in the paper and their names on the list of people who were believed to be innocent during the trials but they were killed without real proof. American Heritage) When the witch trials were going on witches were thought to have looked like ordinary people who have the power to kill people, make potions, and control people . Witches were thought to be evil and only capable of doing harm, yet they would walk among humans and act like humans in most cases. The witches in the 16th century were though to look like normal everyday humans ,so they they would not have to hide(Salem Witch museum). Now in the 20th century witches are thought to have long stringy uncombed black hair and facial warts with a green face ,and a big nose. They are thought to wear all black and long stocking ,they ride around on broom sticks and have loud cackling laughs. The transition from what people thought use to be witches and what people now think a witch would look like is so different from what they use to be like. The change in what witches look like started when all witches started to be thought of as evil and corrupting. The change happened when parents would tell their children about evil creatures that would take them in the night and make them do things that they would not want to do . People changed the look of witches so that their stories would scare young children. Years of stories being passed down generation after generation people started to forget that witches actually look like normal humans and that they blend in with everyday society. (Salem witch museum) The repercussions of the Salem witch trials effected thousands of innocent people. People were murdered without given a fair trial , many family lines were massacred , and now most people think that all witches are evil and that all the stories about witches are true. Thousands of innocent people , including women and children , were slaughtered globally during the Salem witch trials(Salem witch trials). Many family lines were cut out and killed altogether during the trials. When witch craft was happening in some cases whole families were convicted and then slaughtered , they were not given fair trials because there was no real proof that they were actually witches. After the witch trials were finished all over the world everybody started assuming that all witches were evil and that magic good or bad should not be allowed. Many folklore tales were made up and legends were started to be told all over the globe about evil witch craft ,and how witches take over your body and kill your soul . Some people would say that when witch craft was used for killing humans and animals and manipulating them that is when you would lose your soul. Because of The Salem witch trials thousands of innocent people were killed with little proof , real witches were not killed ,and people were taken over during the devouring. Since the witch trials happened globally many stories and legends were started and there is no real proof as to what happened. Some families tried to get their ancestors names cleared but not everybody who was faultily killed got their names cleared. The repercussions of the trials are still felt today globally. Work Cited (Holt Simon,The Devouring, September 1 , 2008) January Lyons , Diane Witchcraft, gender, power and intimate relations in Mura compounds in Dela, northern Cameroon. EBSCO HOST. May 2 ,2013. Salem witch Museum. http://www. salemwitchmuseum. om/. May 2,2013 Lambert , Tim. The Salem witch trials . Localhistories. com April 26,2013 http://www. localhistories. org/salem. html The Salem Witch Trials, 1692, EyeWitness to History, www. eyewitnesstohistory. com (2000). April 30th , 2013 Salem witch trials. Welcome to Salem Massachusetts. April 24th 2013 http://www. salemweb. com/guide/witches. shtml Blumburg, Jess. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Smithsonian. com Published October 27th,2007 May 1st 2013 http://www. smithsonianmag. com/history-archaeology/brief-salem. html April 30th 2013 Lawson , Deodat. The Salem Witch Trials,1692. Eyewitness to History. Published in 2000. http://www. eyewitnesstohistory. com/salem. htm April 29th 2013 Milton, Gilies. SALEM WITCH TRIAL: THE CASE OF GILES AND MARTHA COREY published December 12 2012. Surviving-History. blogspot. ca April 30th , 2013 First Salem Witch hanging. Www. history. comhttp[-gt;1]://www. history. com/this-day-in-history/first-salem-witch-hanging April 30th , 2013 [-gt;0] http://ec. tynt. com/b/rw? id=cd5NqsI_0r3Qffab7jrHtBu=SmithsonianMag [-gt;1] http://Www. history. comhttp/

Death of a parent: Effects on children

Death of a parent: Effects on children Death of a parent: effects on children Thesis: Apparently, the death of a parent can be a dramatic experience for all members of the family, particularly for children, and can often have both short-term and extensive effects on the children. Even if the effects of parents death are heartbreaking, to live healthy and balanced life, members of this type of family must cope the reality and go on with their lives, leaving the fear and emptiness behind. Audience: Doctor Costa Purpose: To show how difficult is for children to cope with the death of a parent. When we think of a family, we most often visualize that family must have children and two parents. Nowadays, this is often not an example in many families throughout the world; single parent families are increasing dramatically. No matter how hard single parent try, he/she cannot replace the natural demand of a child for both of parents. There are several causes of the rise of single parenting across the globe. This essay will concentrate on the death of a parent. Apparently, the death of a parent can be a dramatic experience for all members of the family, particularly for children, and can often have both extensive and short-term effects on the children. Even if the effects of parents death are heartbreaking, to live healthy and balanced life, members of this type of family must cope the reality and go on with their lives, leaving the fear and emptiness behind. If family lost one of the parents, this affected perhaps children in a same level (or much more) as a mother/father that been left behind. One of the most common short-term effects on the children is the fear. This fear could â€Å"drag† children to melancholy and lose of self-esteem. Children are incapable and completely helpless of surviving alone, as a result, they might have great fear of insecurity. Consequently, children might practice a devastating fear of the unfamiliar, fear of not acknowledging what the future might hold, and where they might live, and fear of being left alone in the world. As an example, after my uncles death, we could see the fear in the eyes of my all five young cousins. We could indeed â€Å"see† how their souls were broken; one could read the sorrow in their eyes. It took some period for my aunt to cope with tragedy and give hope for her children with the aid of other family members and the district society. It can be dense for a widower parent to build acceptance of this event and assist the child in having a pleasant and balanced life. The second, extensive effect is the feeling and living with emptiness. As life goes along, perhaps a widower parent and his/her children leave the fear behind and (deep in their heart) never let go of pain and sorrow. This tragedy could create a great impact of emptiness in children, which might leave a â€Å"gap† in their spirit forever. I assume that the emotional part of the childrens world is entirely divided apart with this emptiness. This feeling can take away the happiness of childhood and worse of all; emptiness could create emotional isolation within the childrens personality. Their pain and sorrow might forever engrave in a hidden place of their remembrance. Children carry on searching for the lost parent for an extended period, even until they became parents themselves. Perhaps one method of filling this emptiness can be the creation of fresh happy memories. Finally, in families where a parent died, it difficult to accept the circumstance that nothing is going to be the same; however, children in these families are in great deal of challenge. I believe, after sometime children might fight the fear by coping with reality and willing to commence a fresh beginning with the support of a parent, friend, or society. Moreover, it is not easy to fill the emptiness of their hearts and souls until the day of new happiness. To sum up, letting go of the fear, emptiness, pain and sorrow could allow children to look forward to happiness, understand, and accept the reality. Only then, joy can enter to their memories and guide them to start a new beginning.

Race Relations :: essays research papers

1 Race Relations and Modern Church-State Relations Thomas C. Berg* This article concerns religion and race – two controversial subjects that have figured prominently in America’s constitutional and political debates since World War II. In particular, I wish to trace some connections in the last 50 years between developments in church-state relations and developments in race relations. Recently scholars of the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses have shown interest in how the Supreme Court’s modern decisions on that subject might have been influenced by the political, social, and cultural context of recent decades: such factors as the changing attitudes toward Roman Catholicism,1 the rise of secularism in culture,2 the position of religious minorities,3 and so forth. Like some of that other work, this Article traces the course of churchstate relations not only in the Court itself, but in the broader society. It would hardly be surprising if developments concerning church and state in the last 50 years interacted with developments in the area of race, since the latter have been so central to * Professor of Law, University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minneapolis). I presented portions of the material here at the Boston College Law Review Symposium on Separation of Church and State, in April 2002; at a Federalist Society program on â€Å"Faith Under Democracy,† in March 2002; at a summer 2001 symposium on Spirituality and Social Justice, sponsored by a grant from the Lilly Endowment; and to a fall 2001 meeting of the Colloquium on Religion and Philosophy at Samford University. I thank David Bains, Hugh Floyd, Penny Marler, [OTHERS], and the participants in those sessions for their comments on the various versions of the paper. 1See, e.g., John C. Jeffries, Jr., and James A. Ryan, A Political History of the Establishment Clause, 100 Mich. L. Rev. 279 (2001); Thomas C. Berg, Anti- Catholicism and Modern Church-State Relations, 33 Loyola U-Chi. L. Rev. 121 (2001); Douglas Laycock, The Underlying Unity of Separation and Neutrality, 46 Emory L. J. 43, __-__ (1997). 2See George W. Dent, Jr., Secularism and the Supreme Court, 1999 B.Y.U. L. Rev. 1. 3See Stephen M. Feldman, Religion-Clause Revisionism: Minorities and the Development of Religious Freedom (unpublished draft, on file with author). 2 constitutional law and moral-political debate – from the constitutional success of Brown v. Board of Education4 to the moral-political triumph of the civil rights movement to the current conflicts over how to define and achieve racial justice. The central story in church-state relations in the last 50 years has been the rise of a fairly strict separation of church and state as the overriding constitutional and moral ideal in the 1960s and 1970s, and the partial decline of that ideal from the 1980s

Exploring the Transformation of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in The Narra

In "The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca", Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca’s fight for survival, while being deprived of the basic necessities of life, proves there is a change in him from the beginning of the narrative to the end. This transformation, though, affected multiple aspects of de Vaca, including his motives, character, and perspective of civilization. Cabeza de Vaca’s experience is crucial to the history of America, as well as Spain, because it was one of the first accounts that revealed a certain equilibrium between the mighty and superior Spaniard and the Indian, once the Spaniard was stripped of his noble stature. The idea of nakedness is consistent throughout the narrative and conveys the tribulations he experienced and a sort of balance between him and the Indians. The original intentions of conquering and populating the area between Florida and a northern part of Mexico quickly shifted Cabeza de Vaca’s focus to the need to survive. His encounter with diff erent Indian tribes and ability to get along with them (no matter what the means), and then prosper as a medicine man, shows that through his beliefs in Christian faith, and in himself, he turned the failure into an unexpected success. The nature of the Narvaez expedition was intended to be like that of any other Spanish exploration to the New World. Panfilo de Narvaez, who was selected as governor of Florida and who financed the expedition, was also appointed the commander in chief by emperor Charles V. Cabeza de Vaca was appointed royal treasurer of the voyage for his brightness and noble character. The Spaniards were to conquer the land of Florida in the name of the Charles V and the nation of Spain. They expected to take on and overcome any natives who got in their way and to reap all of the wealth and materials of worth that they came across. When the ships arrived at the western coastline of Florida, they were greeted with a storm. This was just a sign of things to come for the fleet. The storm forced the ships to land at a different bay than what they planned on. From this point the governor wanted to move inland and explore the terrain. Meanwhile he also wanted the ships to sail along the coast until they r eached the correct bay. This commenced the downfall of the conquest. Cabeza de Vaca, as well as the commissary and other elites on the expedition, tried to persuade the governor that ... ...survival. Cabeza de Vaca cannot thank God enough for carrying him through the terrible times that he and the few remaining Spaniards went through as captives of the Indians. He feels a sort of accomplishment for making it through and comes out with a better appreciation for life. After experiencing what it was like to have been an Indian and a slave, and after being on the verge of death several times, the fact that Cabeza de Vaca was able to keep his composure and take each day at a time is astonishing. Of course, like a worthy Christian, Cabeza de Vaca gives God all of the credit in the world for his survival and success. However, it is Cabeza de Vaca’s faith in himself and determination that allow him to survive and go through the changes that he makes. It is almost a riches to rags, and back to riches story. However, the riches at the outcome of the expedition are far different from the riches going in. These new riches are not measured in gold or land, but in the appr eciation for human life and the struggle for survival which made a better man out of him. Work Cited Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca. "The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca" University of Nebraska Press, 2003.

Baby Boomer, The Driving Force :: essays research papers

Landlord-tenant law combines three areas of law; 1.) property law 2.) contract law and 3.) negligence law. Landlord-tenant law combines three areas of law; 1.) property law 2.) contract law and 3.) negligence law. Colleges nation wide have been reporting strong surges in enrollment largely due to baby boomers returning to school. Baby boomers are Americans born between 1946 and 1964. Soldiers returning from WWII caused a rise in the birth rate of the United States, creating a â€Å"boom† which is where the term â€Å"baby boom† comes from. There were approximately 76 million baby boomers born during that 18 year span. The baby boomer generation is now creating a â€Å"boom† in the field of adult education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enrollment in college programs by baby boomers has risen substantially. In 2001 the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that more than 20 percent of United States college students are above the age of 30. (qtd. in CNN 1). The National Center for Education Statistics also reported that enrollment of students aged 40 and older has increased by 48 percent from the early 1970’s. (1). The baby boomer generation has become the driving force behind the growth of adult education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The benefits of higher education for the boomers have been greater than that of their parents. Baby boomer parents are from the Great Depression generation. These Great Depression era parents were immigrants who believed that hard work was the way to succeed in life. Upon arriving in America, the immigrants needed skills to help them live in their new homeland. They learned a new language, to read and that education was necessary to secure their future. These parents raised their children with the belief that education would open many doors for their children’s futures. The effects of education for the baby boomers was stronger than for their parents of the Great Depression generation. â€Å"Both baby boomers and their parents enjoyed a positive association between net worth and education.† (Keister 5). According to National Center for Educational Statistics the boomers have acquired more wealth by the age of 30 than their immigrant parents had acquired by that same age. The boomers have enjoyed a higher income than their parents substantiating the theory that higher education is the key to success. Educated boomers were enjoying the reward of a higher lifestyle than that of their uneducated immigrant parents. The baby boomer students have proven themselves to be the fastest growing

Occupy Movement

Currently in the United States and in several countries around the world individuals are speaking out and holding protest for issues important to the people of the world. The issues include jobs, government assistance, foreclosures, freedom of speech, labor, education, and the banking industry. These protests are against the current high unemployment, greed, and corruption, economic inequality, and unjustified influence of financial corporations. It’s called the Occupy movement which is labeled as a protest movement. The current slogan for the Occupy movement is â€Å"We are the 99%†, which represents the difference between the population and the wealthy 1% of the population. On September 17, 2011 the first occupy movement took place In New York City called Occupy Wall Street. Occupy protests have been ongoing since October 9, 2011 in over 600 communities in the United States, 82 countries and over 95 cities across the nation. This is a non-violent movement lead strongly by the people of this nation. I feel as a citizen in the city, state or country you reside in each person should have the right to fight for his or her beliefs affecting him or her directly or indirectly. It seems as though with all the current occupy movements taken place the police presents has been a major problem for the protestors. Instead of protecting and serving they are bullying and beating on protestors. I believe the more people that stand up and join the movement the more powerful the revolution will become. The Occupy movement has gone from the streets into homes. There is a Occupy Homes movement that has begun for people experiencing foreclosures. This has become the most recent of the Occupy movements. I watched a story of a young African American family experience a home foreclosure; they had nowhere to go with 3 children. After consulting with the Occupy homes movement they decided to take shelter in another foreclosed home. It was such an amazing site to see over two hundred eople show up to support the family. Individuals cheered outside of the home with signs and bull horns and help the family occupy the home. We are slowing losing our rights the worse the economy becomes as individuals in this world there is no more important time to go out and be a part of something so special. The Occupy movement reminds me of the Civil rights movement. Individuals in the world have become tired of his or her circumstances and have begun to speak out and get their voices heard. It seems as though everyday there is something occurring in the world that suggests taken our rights away. Currently in congress there is a bill being debated on, that would allow the President to arrest citizens without the right to an attorney if the individual falls under the guidelines of being a terrorist. I believe with the Occupy movement in action and growing each day this is the perfect time for the people of America and other countries to speak out and fight for change. I have begun to participate in the Occupy movement by becoming a part of the website designed for the Occupy movement. I want to help in any way I can and make sure my children have a sound understanding of the current economic situation the world is in. I believe all people should at least look into the current movement and research what it stands for. We as a people have to stick together and fight for the changes we feel are necessary in today’s world. If we don’t I am not sure what the end result will be after our rights get stripped away one by one. I believe the Civil Rights movement was a model for the current Occupy movement taking place. The Occupy movement is peaceful and when you watch the videos or see the clips they show on the news. People are chanting what he or she expects, what he or she want’s and what he or she deserves. Take pride in becoming a part of making history with other individuals in the world. Join the Occupy movement and stand for changes that need to take place in order for the people of this world to live his or her best life. References http://occupywallst.org/ http://www.occupytogether.o

Reflection Paper on a Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind is a story based on the life of the famous mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr. His contributions to mathematics are outstanding. When he was an undergraduate, he proved Brouwer's fixed point theorem. He then broke one of Riemann's most perplexing mathematical problems and became famous for the Nash Solution. Game Theory from then on, Nash provided breakthrough after breakthrough in mathematics. In 1958 John Forbes Nash was described as being ‘the most promising young mathematician in the world'. John solved problems in mathematics that many mathematicians deemed not solvable. On the threshold of such a promising and outstanding career, he then went on to suffer through three decades of a devastating form of paranoid schizophrenia. He lost his teaching professions and his job. He refused all medical treatment and spent years in and out of delusional states. Remarkably, in 1994 John won the Nobel Prize in Economic Science for his work on Game Theory, he was only 21 when he wrote his paper. The story of John Forbes Nash Jr. is definitely connected with Logic, as he is a mathematician. In his breaking of many perplexing mathematical problems, he used logic. And in producing his famous Game theory, logical systems were used. Among the important properties that logical systems can have: ?Consistency, which means that no theorem of the system contradicts another. ?Validity, which means that the system's rules of proof will never allow a false inference from true premises. A logical system has the property of soundness when the logical system has the property of validity and only uses premises that prove true (or, in the case of axioms, are true by definition). ?Completeness, which means that if a theorem is true, it can be proven. Soundness, which means that the premises are true and the argument is valid. In one of the scenes in the movie, where Nash was in a bar with friends, the use of logic was very evident. While Nash and his friends all have their eyes on the same Blonde woman, you begin to sense his ‘genius moment'. He surprises his colleagues with the question that if we all want the same woman, nobody wins, if we all go afte r her friends, nobody wins, and thus there must be a solution to ensure that everyone wins. With that, Nash writes a formula on a napkin, rushes out of the bar and works feverishly on his new theory. The scene shows the art of logic, which examines three acts of the reason: simple apprehension, judgment and reasoning. Simple Apprehension is the grasp of a concept. A concept is also called an idea, a species, an intelligible form, and a mental word. A concept has an extension, which is the group of things included under the concept. A singular concept is the concept of one individual, for example, your concept of President Abraham Lincoln. A universal concept extends to a whole class of things. The more features (or notes) included in a universal concept, the narrower its extension. A transcendental concept is one that applies to anything that exists, for example being, thing, unit, distinct, good, true, beautiful. A concept by itself is not true or false, just as a single word is not true or false. A concept is a sign of a thing, just as a spoken word is a sign of a concept, and through the concept the spoken word is a sign of the thing. A concept is not merely a sensation stored in the mind, but is an immaterial act of understanding. A Judgment is expressed in a complete sentence or proposition. Judgments are either attributive, when we say â€Å"A is B†, where A is a subject and B is a predicate, or existential, as when we say â€Å"A exists†. Affirmation or affirmative judgment is called composition, because we are putting two concepts together. Negation is called division, because we are taking two concepts apart. A judgment is either true or false. Reasoning involves three terms or concepts, and two judgments. The major term is the broadest, the minor term is the narrowest, and the middle term is between the two, included in the meaning of the major term, and including in it the meaning of the minor term. An example is given in the table below (The Structure of a Syllogism). Major PremiseEvery man is mortal. Mortal = major term Minor PremiseKenji is a man. Man = middle term ConclusionKenji is mortal. Kenji = minor term A syllogism is the verbal expression of an act of reasoning. In a syllogism or perfect argumentation, where one thing is given, another thing necessarily follows. Other forms of argumentation give lesser degrees of certainty. A perfect syllogism employes deduction, which is reasoning that starts from general truths, and then applies them in a particular instance.

Ethan Frome Lit Crit

Marxism is mainly about money and If you don't have money then your not happy and you will be unhappy because you wont have as much as you would like. The narrator needed a ride to his work and he couldn't find anyone someone told him about Ethan, that he will do anything to make a buck. The narrator asked Ethan and he ended up saying yes because he needed the money. When Ethan came back from law school, for good, his mother hired Keenan to take care of her but then people started talking and he felt obligated to marry Keenan In the end.When Ethane's mother died she was worried about money ND what Ethane's dad had done. Ethan worked In his lumber limb that he had and did anything to get a few bucks here and there. Since Keenan â€Å"always† got sick, since Ethane's mother died, she would spend most of their money to pay for her medical bills and medication. Instead of paying a maid to come and work for them Keenan was able to get Mattie to help her for free because Mattie didn 't have anyone after her parents died except her cousin Keenan. The first time Ethan picked up Mattie to him It felt like love at first sight when they first met her.Even though It was love at iris sight he TLD realize that It was going to be another person to feed even with the little money he was making from the lumber limb. Financially he had to make a way to provide to feed an extra person. Ever since Ethan met Mattie and when they would hang out he felt less stress about money. He kept wanting to leave with Mattie but never could because he couldn't leave Keenan just like that. He was afraid of what people might look at it. If Ethan was able to leave Keenan Just like the man who left his wife for his mistress he would.As much as he wanted to do so he felt bad to leave ere after all he did bring her to the house and now he's Just going to leave her with a house with bills that she couldn't afford to pay and she wouldn't able to sell it. The economy was down in town and people we ren't able to pay for or buy a house. The economy was down to a point where people were barely making it. Jobs were being lost. Some people couldn't afford a lot of food because they needed to have a house. This relates to Ethan From because Ethan was one of those people who couldn't make a lot of money.Ethan had trouble getting Just a little extra cash on the side Just o afford something for themselves. Ethan From Is a good example of Marxism because it shows that people of the lower class are always unhappy unless they have money with them. In this book it tells you that money is what makes people happy. If people didn't have money they would be stressing out and have house situations. The economy is based on money. Money keeps the economy going and when it goes down everybody struggles to make a living. Ethan From showed a form AT Marxism Decease social class. Outnumber ten story people Autocue mainly on money Ana t

Residual Stress

INFLUENCE OF RESIDUAL STRESSES ON FATIGUE FAILURE OF BUTT WELDED STAINLESS STEEL PIPE Areef A Department of Mechanical Engineering Chendhuran college of Engineering and technology Pudhukkottai, Tamilnadu [email  protected] com Abstract— This project is aimed to understand the influence of residual stresses on the fatigue failure of butt welded stainless steel pipe joints. In order to carry out this study it requires an experimental fatigue failure data and a computer aided analysis of these results. A finite element scheme will be developed to simulate the residual stress in weld using the experimental data.A Thermo-elasto-plastic analysis will be used to replicate the butt welded pipe joint and the residual stress will be determined. Residual stress that arises in welded joints by heating and cooling cycles during the welding process is another major factor in fatigue failure of welded structures. Welding residual stresses might lead to a drastic reduction in the fatigue st rength of welded elements. In multi cycle fatigue (N > 106 cycles), the effect of residual stresses can be comparable to the effect of stress concentration.The effect of residual stresses on the fatigue life of welded elements are significant as regards relieving harmful tensile residual stresses and introducing beneficial compressive residual stresses in the weld toe zones. The fatigue failure can be classified in to two categories based on the number of cycles taken to fail. A. High cycle fatigue High-cycle fatigue is when the number of cycles to failure is large, typically when the number of cycles to failure, Nf is greater than 103. B. Low cycle fatigue Low- cycle fatigue is when the number of cycles to failure is small, typically when the number of cycles to failure, Nf is less than 103.III. RESIDUAL STRESS ON WELD Residual stresses can be defined as the stresses that remain within a material or body after manufacture and material processing in the absence of external forces or thermal gradients. They can also be produced by service loading, leading to inhomogeneous plastic deformation in the part or specimen. Residual stresses can be defined as either macro or micro stresses and both may be present in a component at any one time. They can be classified as: Macro residual stress that develop in the body of a component on a scale larger than the grain size of the material.Micro residual stresses that vary on the scale of an individual grain. I. INTRODUCTION Welding has a number of detrimental effects on the structural integrity and in-service performance of the weldments. These detrimental effects are due to imperfections induced by the welding in the weldments, of which the structural shape change behavior, residual stresses and the weld solidification cracks are reported to have very severe degrading effects on the mechanical strengths and possibly can lead to catastrophic failure.Fatigue is a type of fracture that occurs in welds that are subjected to c hanging or varying stresses over time. Fatigue is mainly caused by the environment in which the welded joints are utilized. Fatigue fracture is a ductile fracture, and therefore occurs by non-uniform plastic deformation. Micro cracks and voids form after a certain number of cycles and grow proportional to the number of cycles eventually grow large enough to overcome recovery mechanisms and move quickly to fracture. The rate of this crack nucleation is proportional to the frequency of the applied stress.II. FACTORS IN FATIGUE FAILURES Fatigue failures of welded joint are initiated by many factors, such as stress concentration, environment, loading and residual stresses. Stress concentration is mainly caused by the geometrical discontinuity and thus initiates fatigue crack at the locations of discontinuity. Stress concentration may also result from weld defects and metallurgical discontinuity. Fatigue strength of weld component may also be significantly affected by the environment, su ch as oxygen, sulfur, and temperature.In addition to the axial stresses in the piping systems reduction in fatigue life also takes place by multiaxiality of loading or stresses. Micro residual stresses that exist within a grain, essentially as a result of the presence of dislocations and other crystalline defects. IV. CAUSES OF RESIDUAL STRESS Residual stresses are generated during most manufacturing processes involving material deformation, heat treatment, machining or processing operations such as welding, machining, grinding, and rod or wire drawing etc.It is possible to classify the origin of residual stresses in the following way: 1. 2. 3. Differential plastic flow Differential cooling rates Phase transformations with volume changes are one of the main factors leading to the origination and propagation of fatigue cracks in welded elements. The residual stresses in the welded joints are formed as the result of differential contractions which occur as the weld metal solidifies an d cools to ambient temperature. In fact, welding introduces high heat input to the material being welded.As a result of this, non-uniform heat distributions, plastic deformations and phase transformations occur on the material. These changes generate different residual stresses patterns for weld region and in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Residual stresses induced by shrinkage of the molten region are usually tensile. Transformation induced residual stresses will cause more critical phase transformations. When the effect of phase transformations is dominant compressive residual stresses are formed in the transformed areas.Tensile residual stresses are detrimental to the initiation and growth of fatigue cracks. Weld fatigue failure is often particularly sensitive to residual stress due to stress concentrations induced by the weld joint geometry and weld imperfections. Welding residual stress acts as a booster to the fatigue problem. Hence, crack growth rate becomes considerably highe r in the weld vicinity compared to that far from weld. The fatigue failure mechanism in the presence of weld residual stress is not well understood and it is the intent of this project to explore this mechanism.However, to quantify the effects of welding residual stresses in the design stage, one has to numerically simulate its distribution and redistribution and possible relaxation in a structure due to cyclic loading. This requires the need for a robust, reliable and numerically efficient method for modeling residual stresses. Previous studies reveals that depending upon mean stress, stress amplitude, and stress ratio of uni axial cycle stressing and two kinds of failures ratcheting failure and fatigue failure. Figure 3.Explains the variation of ratcheting strain with stress amplitude. In which we shall see that stress increases apparently with the increase in nominal stress amplitude. It implies that the effect of nominal stress amplitude on ratcheting is more significant than me an nominal stress. The variation of mean stress with ratcheting strain is explained in figure 4. In which we shall see that ratcheting strain also has an increasing trend with the mean nominal stress up to a particular limit. V. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUESWelding residual stresses are generated in a structure as a consequence of local plastic deformations introduced by local temperature history consisting of a rapid heating and subsequent cooling phase. During the welding process, the weld area is heated up sharply compare to the surrounding area and fused locally. The material expands as a result of being heated. The heat expansion is restrained by the surrounding cooler area, which gives rise to thermal stresses. The thermal stresses partly exceed the yield limit, which is lowered at elevated temperatures.Consequently, the weld area is plastically hot-compressed. After cooling down too short, too narrow or too small comparing to the surrounding area, it develops tensile residual stres s, while the surrounding areas are subjected to compressive residual stresses to maintain the self-equilibrium The distribution of residual stresses in a welded pipe is more complex, Fig. 1 shows the possible expansion and shrinkage in a butt welded pipe. In this case, shrinkage of the weld in the circumferential direction induces circumferential force, F, shearing force, Q, and bending moments, M, to the pipe.Figure. 2 shows a characteristic residual stress profile on a low carbon steel welded component. Also the distribution of residual stresses in a pipe is affected by many factors such as diameter, wall thickness of the pipe, weld geometry, and welding procedure. From the graphical plot we shall see that the maximum value of the harmful residual stress is about 360 N/mm2 (tensile stress) near the welding line and it decreases to be about 165 N/mm2 at the distance of 80 mm from the welding axis.The minimum residual stress is about 90 N/mm2 near the welding line and it becomes abo ut 60 N/mm2 in compression at the instance of about 60 mm, then it reduces to about 10 N/mm2 in tension at 80 mm distance from the axis. Such high tensile residual stresses are the result of thermoplastic deformations during the welding process and A. Sample Used The material used for the study is stainless steel material of grade SS304. The material is chosen because of its following properties. It has an excellent corrosion resistance in a wide range of atmospheric environments and many corrosive media.Considering its heat resistant property it is not suitable to use in a range of 425-860 °C if subsequent aqueous corrosion resistance is important. This material has excellent weld ability by all standard fusion methods, both with and without filler metals. Welding of 304 can be done with Grade 308 and 308L rods or electrodes (and with their high silicon equivalents). Heavy welded sections in Grade 304 may require post-weld annealing for maximum corrosion resistance. Tensile Stren gth (MPa) min 515 Yield Strength 0. 2% Proof (MPa) min 205 Elongation (% in 50mm) min 40 Rockwell B (HRB) max 92 Brinell (HB) max 201D. Finite element analysis Most of the residual stress studies were conducted based on either axi symmetric or 2D plane assumptions due to the limitations of the finite element codes and computer resources available during the time of the study. Moreover, the thermo-mechanical problem was assumed to be uncoupled where the thermal and mechanical responses were treated separately. Furthermore fatigue failure usually initiate at the stress concentration area and fatigue loading is usually not axi symmetric, and hence a two dimensional model can not simulate the fatigue failure response of weld joints accurately.In order to simulate the fatigue response of welded joints in the presence of residual stresses, it is essential to conduct a three-dimensional analysis. Figure 5. Illustrates the solid and FE model of the specimen RESULT AND DISCUSSION 3D finite e lement fatigue response analyses for a socketwelded joint were performed by using ANSYS. This is needed in order to include the calculated residual stress and strain fields as the initial stresses and strains in the fatigue analysis. A fixed boundary condition at the socket end is imposed.Same finite element mesh and the material model used in the residual stress analysis, are restricted to be used in the fatigue analysis. The following are some of the discussions we found out after the comparative experiments on Fatigue machine and computer aided simulation. High tensile residual stresses, at or above the yield stress level, exist near the weld toe area, especially at the weld start/stop location. The magnitude of the residual stresses reduces quickly as the distance from the weld toe increases. The residual stress distribution does not change much when the slip-on gap in the socket weld joint is reduced to zero.Hence, the increase in fatigue life of socket welds with no slip-on ga p is unrelated to residual stress. The improvement in fatigue life may come from the change in failure mode, which in turn, may be influenced by the change of the external load stress or strain distribution. REFERENCES [1] Guozheng Kang, Yugie Liu, and Zhao Li â€Å"Experimental study on ratchetting-fatigue interaction of SS304 stainless steel in uni-axial cyclic stressing† – International journal of Materials Science and engineering, Volume 435, 2006, Pages 396-404. N. S. Rossini, M. Dassisti , K.Y. Benyounis, A. G. Olabi â€Å"Methods of measuring residual stresses in components† International journal of Materials and Design, Volume 35, 2012, Pages 572–588. Y. Kudryavtsev and J. Kleiman â€Å"Fatigue of Welded Elements: Residual Stresses and Improvement Treatments† Integrity Testing Laboratory Inc. 80 Esna Park Drive, Units 7-9, Markham, Canada presented paper in the year 2005. Z. Barsoum â€Å"Residual stress analysis and fatigue of multi-pass welded tubular structures†International journal of Engineering Failure Analysis, Volume 15, 2008, Pages 863–874. M.Farajian-Sohi, Th Nitschke-Pagel, K â€Å"Residual stress relaxation in welded joint under static and cyclic loading† Issued from International Centre for Diffraction Data 2009 ISSN 1097-0002. Grade 304 Table. 1 Mechanical property of SS grade 304 Elastic modulus (Gpa) 193 Thermal conductivity (W/m. K) 16. 2 Specific heat (J/kg. K) 500 Electrical resistivity (ohm) 720 Grade Density (kg/m3) 304 8000 Table. 2 Physical property of SS grade 304 B. Stainless steel welding Methods There are three methods of stainless steel welding which are preferred over the rest.Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding, Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). Stainless steel welding requires a bit more finesse than welding mild steel or aluminum, because heat is an enemy in this process. Also the fumes made from any of these processes are very harmf ul, and great care must be taken to avoid breathing them. TIG welding utilizes a tungsten welding electrode, a filler metal rod and an inert gas to shield the weld. This welding method requires little or no post-weld finishing. The tungsten tip in the welding torch is touched to the material to be welded.This creates an arc that the welder dips the filler metal rod into and allows it to melt into the welding puddle. The shielding gas prevents contamination from entering the weld and allows the weld to flow out smoothly. Heat is controlled through a foot switch. So the suggested welding method is TIG welding. C. Fatigue test Butt welded piping joints were tested in a cantilever setup. In these test the welded joint to be tested is located near the heavy and stiff support column. The fatigue loading cycle is applied to the other end of the pipe using the actuator of a servo- hydraulic testing machine through a pin end fixture setup.The pin end fixture consists of a self-aligning ball bearing and a pin, which is snugly fitted to the ball bearing and tightly attached to the end fixture. One of the pin end fixtures is tightly screwed to the actuator rod and the other welded to the specimen. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] D. Akbari, I. Sattari-Far Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran â€Å"Effect of the welding heat input on residual stresses in butt-welds of dissimilar pipe joints† International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, Volume 86, 2009, Pages 769–776. [7] B. Brickstad, B. L.Josefson â€Å"A parametric study of residual stresses in multi-pass butt-welded stainless steel pipes† International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, Volume 75, 1998, Pages 11-25. Figure 3. Relation between ratcheting strain with stress amplitude Figure 4. Relation between ratcheting strain with Mean stress Figure 1. Distribution of longitudinal fillet weld Residual stress on a butt welded pipe Figure 5. Solid model (a) and FE model (b) of welded pipe Figure 2. Distribution of longitudinal fillet weld on a carbon steel welded component Axial residual tress distribution in a buttwelded joint

Existentialism in Literature Essay

Existentialism in literature is a movement or tendency that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice. While Existentialism was never an organized literary movement, the tenets of this philosophy have influenced many diverse writers around the world and readers can detect existential elements in their fiction. Americans writers like William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck reveal existential elements in their writing. Perhaps the most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice. Humanity’s primary distinction, in the view of most existentialists, is the freedom to choose. Because we are free to choose our own paths, existentialists have argued, we must accept the risk and responsibility of following our commitments wherever they lead. American writers Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson often wrote about these concepts. Existentialism is not dark. It is not depressing. Existentialism is about life. Existentialists believe in living—and in fighting for life. The politics of existentialist writers around the world varies widely, but each seeks the most individual freedom for people within a society. Despite encompassing this wide range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are constant: ? Mankind has free will ? Life is a series of choices ? Few decisions are without any negative consequences ? Some events and occurrences are irrational or absurd, without explanation. ? If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. So existentialism, broadly defined, is a set of philosophical systems concerned with free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Because we make choices based on our experiences, beliefs, and biases, those choices are unique to us—and made without an objective form of truth. There are no â€Å"universal† guidelines for most decisions, existentialists believe. Even trusting science is often a â€Å"leap of faith. † The existentialists conclude that human choice is subjective, because individuals finally must make their own choices without help from such external standards as laws, ethical rules, or traditions. Because individuals make their own choices, they are free; but because they freely choose, they are completely responsible for their choices. The existentialists emphasize that freedom is necessarily accompanied by responsibility. Furthermore, since individuals are forced to choose for themselves, they have their freedom—and therefore their responsibility—thrust upon them. They are â€Å"condemned to be free. † Many existentialist writers stress the importance of passionate individual action in deciding questions of both personal morality and truth. Personal experience and acting on one’s own convictions are essential in arriving at the truth. 17th-century French philosopher and existentialist Blaise Pascal saw human existence in terms of paradoxes. He believed that â€Å"We know truth, not only by reason, but also by the heart. † And as many existentialists, he acknowledges that â€Å"It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory. † The modern adage that the journey is more important than the final destination applies to this idea. Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself existential, reacted against traditional thoughts by insisting that the highest good for the individual is to find his or her own unique vocation. As he wrote in his journal, â€Å"I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die. † Existentialists have argued that no objective, rational basis can be found for moral decisions. The 19th-century German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche contended that the individual using free will must decide which situations are to count as moral situations. He believed that â€Å"There are no facts, only interpretations. † . . . and he is famous for this well known adage:â€Å"That which does not kill me, makes me stronger. † The 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky is probably the most well-known existentialist literary figure. In his book Notes from the Underground the alienated anti-hero questions experiences in life that are unpredictable and sometimes self-destructive. French writer, Jean Paul Sartre wrote that man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth. There is no ultimate meaning or purpose inherent in human life; in this sense life is absurd. We are forlorn, abandoned in the world to look after ourselves completely. The only foundation for values is human freedom, and that there can be no external or objective justification for the values anyone chooses to adopt. † When the Swedish Academy granted the Nobel Prize in Literature to Sartre for his work which, they recognized as â€Å"rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, [that] has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age,† Sartre made it known that he did not wish to accept the prize. In a public announcement, in1964, Sartre expressed his regret that his refusal of the prize had given rise to a scandal, and he wished it to be known that his refusal was not meant to slight the Swedish Academy but was rather based on personal and objective reasons. Sartre pointed out that due to his conception of the writer’s task he had always declined official honors so this act was not unprecedented. He had similarly refused other awards offered to him. He stated that a writer’s acceptance of such an honor would be to associate his personal commitments with the awarding institution, and that, above all, a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution.