Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf :: Whos Afraid Virginia Woolf Essays

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf For this book talk, I read an Edward Albee's play, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." I saw the movie version of this book, which I found excellent, so it inspired me to read the book. The book begins when George, who is an associate professor of a New England college, and Martha, who is the daughter of the college professor comes home after a faculty party. Although it is well after midnight and they are heavily drunk, Martha invites another couple, Nick who is a new and young professor in the college, and his wife Honey. The two couples continue drinking at the living room of George and Martha's house, and Martha starts complaining about George. She reveals George's failure to advance in the college even if he has an advantage as the son-in-law of the president. George tries to revenge by telling Martha's weaknesses to the guests, and the fight becomes impossible to stop making the new couple who tries to stay detached also become caught up in it. As the fight goes on and they become more drunk, Martha comes to mention about George and she's imaginary son, who has been a secret between them and a forbidden topic to tell others. Nick also tells their painful secret that he married Honey because she thought she was pregnant but that it turned out to be false. When everyone is tired and humiliated as a result, George, who was very angry about Martha's mentioning his son to the guests, he decides to tell something that will change their lives forever as a final revenge, and then the party comes to an end. The main theme of the book is the sadness and difficulties of the adult life. In the story, George and Martha cannot have a child because either of them is impotent, so they had to make up an imaginary son. Here's a quotation about their son form Martha. QUOTATION(p219) Martha's this description about him shows how much they cared for him and wanted the real one. Furthermore, they constantly fight with each other for trivial subjects even though they really want to communicate more seriously and understand deeper. The difference between their view of life also worsens their marriage because Martha always expects George to be more ambitious while George does not

Human Cloning Essay -- Ethical Issues, Cloning

Human Cloning Human Cloning comes with two dangerous processes, reproductive cloning (the creating of a new organism) and the therapeutic cloning (the creation of a new tissues or â€Å"other biological products†) which affects the ethics of human society. Scientists perceive cloning benefits all men and women, while religious leaders stress the idea of cloning to be an unethical process. Although human cloning serves as an aid to the children and parents with conflicts, cloning is completely unacceptable to convey human life as a product. Humans reproductively and therapeutically give the idea of people becoming a product rather than a living being. Siedler emphasizes that â€Å"reproductive cloning could also represent an enormous step in direction of transforming human procreation into human manufacture† (Siedler 91-92). In other words, reproductive cloning will create a world full of dolls that will remove every trace of living beings. Though it is hard to believe the world becoming a doll house for each family or community, it has come to a conclusion that the ability of cloning and â€Å"creating children† is questioning every person, â€Å"what does it mean to be a human?† (Yount 114). If it was not bad enough for this world to describe some of the people to be looked upon as nothing but a thing, cloning pushes the idea to a whole new level. â€Å"By opening the door to many things such as manipulation,† Yount states, as she desperately explains the fear in cloning, â€Å"of wanting to be someone else, it can treat them as objects instead of person,† (Yount 114). To even add the intensity of what cloning could do, therapeutic cloning delivers a new definition to fear. According to the ... ...). Parents suffer the mental issue of the child recieving â€Å"medium-term consequences including premature aging, immune system failures, and sudden unexpected deaths,† (Siedler 87-88). Therapeutic cloning sounds safe and ethical, â€Å"but it is no different from those that could be used in attempts to create cloned children† so why risk the process? (â€Å"Cloning† 94). Therapeutic and Reproductive cloning is used in a beneficial way in different circumstances, but the disadvantages overpowers the beneficial usage with the risk of corrupting the world and more. Reproductive cloning forms human manufacturing as well as a child to a parent who are unable to bear one, and therapeutic cloning give animals a repaired heart muscle, as well as the corruption of religion and social ideas in this world. Cloning comes with consequences and more are to come, so is it worth to clone?

Theories of varied motivation in psychology

It is said that entire psychology is about the study of motivation itself. In fact the science of psychology evolved to explain, answer and reason the ‘why’ of human behavior. Motivation holds the answer to this ‘why’ because when we attempt to reason for a particular behavior or attitude then basically we are finding the motivations responsible for that particular behavior (Gorman, 2003, 1). People perform a variety of actions through multiple roles according to their dominant motivation that guides their behavior. In psychological studies the implicit motivations determining human behavior are not only considered from point of view of biological drives and neurological impetus but they are also explained by relational aspect of human behavior where motivation is a dynamic aspect of the behavior that helps people to interact with the world (Nuttin, 1984,1).   Many theorist attempt to offer generalized explanation for a majority of human actions purely in terms of natural instinct or sudden impulse. Even the people engaged in performing those actions may also agree to this viewpoint. However, the theory of instinct and impulse presents an incomplete rational because there are critical external factors and attractions that also contribute towards the particular motivation. Therefore human motivation is a dynamic product of combination of intrinsic human traits as well as their environmental setting. Another important factor that plays an important role in explaining motivational factors in behavior is human emotion (Gorman, 2003, 89). Human beings experience a number of emotional states that continue to fluctuate and they act as causative factors in a large number of actions undertaken by them. As a matter of fact, motivation is a product of a very complex process of internal and external interaction of human beings with themselves and their surrounding and it acts as stimulant and provide energy for their behaviors and consequent actions. Psychoanalytic Explanation of motives Motives interests psychologist because they provide insight into the character and approach of individuals, providing psychologists with test materials on which they can further form and expand their theories. The reasons of specific actions, such as why did a person steal, why did he commit a murder, why did he participate in a cause where he was not interested, or why did he contributed a majority of his wealth to charitable causes can perhaps be better understood if the motives behind them are sought. The implicit notion is that there are some actions which deviant to a person’s characteristics and those that are difficult be explained by any standard rule based system (Peters, 1958, 28). Psychologists, in their attempts to explore the motives, that is the set of specific reasons for deviant as well as normal actions have given considerable attention to the unconscious self of human beings of which they are themselves unaware. The unconscious self is composed of repressed feelings of deprivations, unfulfilled desires and infant sexuality and it subtly acts on every human being to set the framework of many of their actions (Peters, 1958, 55). This theory of unconscious mental process, as proposed by Freud, and the psychoanalytic explanations it offered, did not profess to explain the entire gamut of human behaviors, but it certainly provided a more panoramic view to cause and reasons of many human actions that were hitherto conventionally explained on mere visible evidences. According to the new wisdom, actions performed by people have a long and complicated background and though they may appear final or conclusive in their immediate bearing, they are part of a long chain of interconnected events. Therefore even the simple question that why did John walk across the road take vast proportion in psychology. As explained by Peters (4), the simple answer that John crosses the road to buy some tobacco is insufficient, even though John himself in unaware of any other motive. To a psychologist, in crossing the road to buy tobacco, John is conforming to many social and cultural stereotypes such as he is not running or crawling across the road to get the tobacco (ibid, 5). If John had run, then his goal of obtaining tobacco would had fallen incommensurate with his action that should had warranted more urgent justification. However as John walks across the road, it indicates that procuring tobacco is a kind of activity that should be accomplished in a normal behavioral conduct to make it appear as an appropriate social function. A psychologist might further argue that John has secret liking for tobacconist’s girl, and he goes to the particular shop to see that girl, though he may himself be not aware of this. Another explanation might be offered that John had an unconscious disliking of work from which he wanted to escape and the act of going to tobacconist was a way for him to stay away from the unpleasant work. Its important to see here that in neither of these explanations John himself is aware of any other reason other than buying tobacco, but each of the region, both of them or several others can be true to the case. The Biological Approach to Motives The biological or physiological aspects of motives are perhaps the earliest explanations that were offered to reason for motives behind human actions and behaviors. This approach views human as ‘drive-oriented’ animals who are more the product of biological factors of cellular and neurochemical reactions, acting through our genetic traits alone and spurred by release of hormones to various actions. This physiological analysis puts instinct as the primary reason behind every human action and its framework basic human instincts such as desire to eat, drink, sleep and have sex combine to form the further ramifications of human behavior (Gorman, 2003,14). In this model, drives for specific actions stimulate people and they respond accordingly in their behavior. It states that behavior of people is the result of homeostasis, that is, the tendency to maintain a stable internal environment of body. Body responds to any deprivation that threatens the stability of internal equilibrium and unleashes corresponding behavior to correct it (Weiner, 1980, 11). Thus homeostasis drive theory accounts for situations where a person may be compelled to steal food if he is hungry, or run if he is threatened, as maintaining the internal equilibrium is principle motive of any living organism. Behavioral approach to motives As Nuttin (1984, 16) states, understanding of motivational process is critically dependent on understanding of dynamic aspects of human behavior. In the field of psychology behavior refers to cognitive activities that an individual performs in the context of a behavioral world (ibid, 17). These activities can not be understood if they are treated separately, and therefore an integrated model of behavior interpretation is required that views that takes a complete and related view of all the processes in the living organism. According to the behavioral model, the various biochemical functions and basic drives are encompassed by behavior that gives these individual traits their full meaning and purpose (ibid, 18). As such hunger, thirst, sleep, sex drive, fear, ecstasy, loyalty etc are not isolated factors in determining motives. Instead they are integrated as part of the behavioral structure that creates a sense of organic continuity. Thus seeing changes to watching and hearing changes to listening in the behavioral model. Various theories and models in the field of social behavior have come with suggestion that human behavior reflects a person’s intent to act (Orbell, 2004, 145). According to each of these models it is possible to predict behavior from intentions and behavioral control displayed by a person. Behavioral characteristics can successfully account for specific types of motivations seen with various actions. For example, harvesting, hunting and fishing are quite different behaviors, yet they are done with the same objective of procuring food. Similarly, despite their different behavioral traits, people are essentially same every where, in the sense that they seek love, trust, social respect, and financial stability, thus acting through almost identical motivational drives. Within the behavioral system, a form of unity and cohesion is attempted out of multiple elements interacting together in a motivational setup (Nuttin, 1984, 84). Humanistic Approach to Motives The humanistic approach in describing different motives for human actions is a relatively new field. Its fundamental principles, as stated by Weiner(1980, 409) are 1. Humanistic psychology studies people in their real life circumstances, where humans are subjects of the study, rather than object. People are described in their own consciousness and perceptions and the reasons and motives of their actions are placed along with their individuality, in a holistic and complete framework. 2. Humanistic psychologists also believe that human choice, will, their desire to move ahead in life, to grow and realize their potentials contribute to their actions, behavior and approach to life. 3. The dominant characteristics of any individual is to achieve personal potential, and develop their capacities and talents to highest level. Thus the central motivation in an individual’s life is to grow, move ahead and develop his or her own self. Conclusion Human actions would continue to be defined, analyzed and interpreted from a number of points of view, according to various theories, models and approaches to understand its complexity and give complete meaning to its attributes, in order to evolve a wholesome picture of factors that motivates people towards a varied degree of actions. Motivations can be best understood from the dynamics of behavior and the integrated setup that provides basis for planning, thinking, action and achievements of goals to people. Further, people are motivated to different actions based on their own perception of needs and requirements as well acting through their subconscious self, which explains for the difference in their perceived reason of their certain steps from the actual reasons justifying it. Reference Gorman, P, 2003, Motivation and Emotion, Routledge, New York. Nuttin, J, 1984, Motivation, Planning, and Action: A Relational Theory of Behavior Dynamics, (trnsltr) Jean E. Dumas ,, Raymond P. Lorion , Leuven University Press; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Leuven, Belgium. Orbell, S, 2004, Contemporary Perspectives on the Psychology of Attitudes: The Cardiff Symposium. (edit ) Geoffrey Haddock,   Gregory R. Maio, Psychology Press. Hove, England. Peters RS, 1985,The Concept of Motivation. Routledge & Kegan Paul :London Weiner, H, 1980, Human Motivation, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ   

Family and friends everyday lives Essay

Write an essay describing how new media technologies affect you, your family and friends everyday lives. The media world is constantly changing as a result of new developments in technology. Therefore the media industry is dependant upon highly sophisticated technology, which can be used to influence and inform groups of people all around the world. It has been suggested that we live in a world that is ‘media saturated’ as it dominates our lives. This in effect is true as media is a central part of our lives, it can be used to deliver us news as well as a source of entertainment, and this is why media can be so influential. The internet is one of the most fast developing new media technologies, enabling users to contact people all over the world to shop, chat, play games, download music and information, send e-mails and keep up with current affairs. The Internet was developed in America in the 1960s and was introduced in the 1990s in Britain. Originally this technology was introduced as a way of bringing people all over the world closer together, enabling them to communicate with one another simultaneously, giving its name the ‘medium of the future’. It is constantly being developed to suit peoples’ needs, for example broadband internet offers faster connection and makes downloading easy, effortless and not so time consuming as it used to be. Many radio stations have recognised that people may wish to listen whilst ‘surfing’ the Net, so have incorporated a ‘live airplay’ programme on their websites so that it is possible to listen to the radio via a computer rather than the conventional radio device. Many websites also offer a service where downloading music is free, this means that many people can save large amounts of money on buying CDs and can obtain the latest music singles and albums from the comfort of their own home. Home shopping is also increasing due to Internet services allowing consumers to purchase a range of goods via the Internet using their credit/debit cards as a method of payment. The advantage of this is that the busy shopping atmosphere is avoided and time is saved, this is also the case in online banking systems where cardholders can view bank statements, credit details and communicate with their bank via email. The only problem with these systems is that credit card details are given out over the Internet and may be obtained by other companies or Internet users, meaning the risk of credit card fraud is higher. However, a select few internet based companies have introduced a card which can be used like a ‘top-up’ card bought for mobile telephones, in the sense that a card is issued to the internet shopper so that they are able to go a top-up point and pay for a certain amount of money to be put on their card, which can then be used to purchase goods from the internet. Not only is this a safer option, it is also more convenient for younger customers who are not yet eligible for a credit card. Due to improved media technologies, it is now possible to access the Internet through digital television sets and mobile WAP compatible telephones. This means information, entertainment and news can be displayed without the use of a computer. Revision websites make learning a more interactive experience for students, as well as being a useful alternative to other methods of learning such as flashcards. Students can also test themselves and the website can mark their answers, giving them a score to see how effective the revision has been. Other websites such as ‘lastminute. com’ allow holidays, rental cars and other goods to be bought at the ‘last minute’ at a reduced rate. This means considerable savings can be made and purchasing goods or booking holidays is made simple and easy. Another convenience of the Internet is that ‘Chat Rooms’ allow people to talk to various people all over the world and if desired become involved in group discussions. This can mean young people can meet and talk to people of their own age group and interests and exchange thoughts and ideas. Obviously as you cannot see the person you are communicating with, you cannot be sure that they are telling the truth about their age, gender etc which also means this may cause an increase of illegal groups operating in chat rooms, such as paedophiles who abuse the internet. This may affect many families in different ways for example, if a parent feels that their child may not be safe to talk to people on the Internet they may limit the child’s use or filter the system so that they cannot access the chat rooms. If a teenager arranges to meet up with a person that they believe to be of the same age group as themselves, to discover that they are not the person they described themselves to be on the internet, they may face serious problems such as stalking. This can lead to anxiety problems and distrust for some people as well as being a major worry for all parents. Instant messaging services (MSN etc) allow users to be informed when friends or other named people on their contact list are online and lets them automatically begin a conversation without needing to log onto a chat room. Voice conversations can also be made using these facilities. Email enables Internet users to send a succession of ‘letters’ around the world to various people within seconds, as they are delivered instantly. Not only does this save time and money as the service is free, but it means messages can be sent and received instantly rather than waiting days, or even weeks for a letter to be delivered by post. Many people find this an excellent way of keeping in contact with relatives and friends, particularly those who live a long distance away. The only social problem that has been recognised by researchers is that emailing has begun to discourage people from writing letters, therefore making us more computer literate but less inclined to keep up good standards of writing skills.

A Letter from Birmingham Jail

Reflection of â€Å"A Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther Kingjr. For our honors portfolio this quarter we were required to read three documents. We, then, were quizzed over each of the readings. First, we read â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King, Jr. , then, we read the transcript of President John F. Kennedys inaugural address, and last but not least, we read â€Å"Millennial Makeover† by Morley Winograd and Michael Hals.Furthermore, we had to read and analyze the documents because the quizzes required us to think deeper than the written words on the paper. I believe these documents are critical because they have shaped the government and our society today. My favorite of these three documents, if I had to pick. would be â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail†, not only because I admire Martin Luther King Jr. , but also because this letter Is a very powerful and Inspiring piece of work.Luther wrote while being confined in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, for participating in civil rights demonstrations. His letter states that he will continue resisting nonviolently against racial discrimination and pleads the readers to see segregation from a different point f view. Moreover, I noticed that he quoted many people including Apostle Paul, St. Augustine, Reinhold Niebuhr and many others. This made me realize that he most likely had the quotations memorized since he didn't have access to those sources while imprisoned.He mentions that â€Å"injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere† and that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all† (Luther). This means that an unjust law causes harm; for example, If it Is lawful to torture a certain group of people, then that is not a law whatsoever. This idea of injustice affects many directly, ut also affects everyone else indirectly in the fact that prejudice is occurring around them. Furthermore, his words describe in detail what segregation was Ilke and what people like him had to go through.This impacted me because now, the idea of racial discrimination is completely frowned upon, while in the 1900's it was something that seemed right and normal. It took years of hard work, bloody massacres. and non-stop action to obtain equality and I hate to see that a little bit of racism still exists today. The idea that immigrants are taking away Jobs and opportunities that should be for U. S. citizens. surprises me because this country was founded and created by immigrants.Instead of seeing different countries and different people in one world, we should see the whole world as one, because every human being, no matter what race. has his/her own rights and should have the same opportunities that his neighbor does. Luther is one of the most charismatic and persuasive people in history and has not only inspired many, but also revolutionized a country's view. He wrote this letter hoping to stir up some emotion and I think he got his point a cross in very non-violent and mature kind of way that was unexpected and at the same time, admirable.His stance ofa nonviolent action and the desperate cry for an end to social discrimination is as powerful now as It was 50 years ago. We now stand by these liberal values and believe the God has made us all equal and has given us n r gnts tnat no law can take away. A tnougn tnls was not an easy project, I certainly did learn something from it and it inspired me to stand up for my beliefs, but also, in a way, allowed me to see that anything is possible through hard work.

Difference between growing up in rich and a poor family Essay

My character, physical, emotional, and psychological development would drastically be different had I been born and raised in a poor family as opposed to a rich family. Growing up in a rich family, I would be more or less secure in a lot of aspects. For example, I wouldn’t worry about my basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and education, among others. My emotional and psychological development would also be nourished as I would be provided with things that would facilitate my growth such as toys and books, among others. It can also be said that I would also be physically fit as I will always have ample food. In short, in a rich family, I would have a well-provided and highly secure life in which most aspects of my growth and development would flourish. On the other hand, growing in an impoverished family would have significantly different circumstances. I wouldn’t have a guaranteed education nor would I be assured of my basic needs. My emotional and psychological development would be very difficult as I may become envious of rich people and even development a feeling of resentment and shame towards my family’s status. Since I wouldn’t always have enough food, most of the time I would be physically unhealthy or malnourished. According to article, â€Å"The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap of What We Know and What We Do,† which was done by Harvard University’s National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, the early stages of childhood is a critical stage in the over-all development of a person. In the article, it is said that the early development of â€Å"cognitive skills, emotional well-being, social competence, and sound physical and mental health† (4) lays a strong foundation for success into adulthood. Moreover, the article also noted that high levels of stress in childhood can significantly affect a person’s behavior and physical and mental health. Meaning to say, the circumstances and the environment during childhood can significantly affect my emotional, physical, and psychological status which is why growing in a rich family and poor family can be significantly different from each other. *Word Count : 354 Works Cited â€Å"The Science of Early Childhood Development. † January 2007. National Scientific Council On The Developing Child, Harvard University. 29 January 2009 .

A Bakery Business Of Your Own

Making a Bakery Business Plan Coming up with a bakery business plan is one of the first things to do if you intent to start a bakery business of your own. Bakery business can prove to be one of the most rewarding businesses at start because of the personal involvement as well as the good profits that can start pouring in as soon as you begin. Bakery business is one where you can remain involved in every aspect from baking to selling and buying ingredients. A business plan is the only thing that can make a bakery business run in a convenient and controlled manner. You will need an effective and well written bakery business plan to help you succeed. It can help to control the overwhelming bakery day to day business and run things in a much organized and expected way. How to Make a Bakery Business Plan Making a bakery business plan is essential before actually starting the business. It is the way of carrying out business and should include a plan of operation for every aspect of your bakery business. Here we have broken up the idea of a business plan for your convenience that will help you in making and putting together a sound bakery business plan. The First Part The first part of your business plan should focus on how you will run the day to day operations of your bakery business and make everything go smoothly. The Second Part The second part of the business plan should include all the equipment you will need to operate the bakery business. From pans to pots, spoons to ovens and everything else, it should be very clearly mentioned. This part should also include the day to day operations and the maintenance that will be needed by the equipment after every few months. This part should also include the preventive maintenance on this equipment as well as it will prepare you for any eventually too that might occur with the machines. The Third Part The third part of bakery business plan should include your menu of foods and drinks that you will be serving to the customers. This is the most important part of business plan as it can prove to be the ultimate drawing point to your bakery. The Fourth Part The fourth part of your bakery business plan will be about the way you will deliver bakery products to the customers. Presentation and serving play a very crucial role in promoting any business especially eatables. The Fifth Part The fifth part of bakery business plan is very crucial as it discusses the finances needed to start a Bakery Business. You should know if you are going to finance the plan yourself and have enough capital to put the business ogether or will you borrow the money from family, friends or a bank; will you use credit cards or seek partnership to finance the business. All these questions need serious thinking before taking any step towards establishing a bakery business. The Sixth Part The sixth part of a business plan figures out where your bakery will be located. Are you going to rent or lease a shop or will you buy a separate place? All these questions are important as a good location can help to make a business successful and draw customers mor e easily rather than being located at a place where no one can come. Before you actually put the wheels in motion to start a bakery business, it is important to take time and figure out if this is the business for you that can help to shape your future. Starting a bakery business can be hard job and it can only be made successful with a sound and foolproof business plan and attention to detail. Making a business plan with help you really understand if this is the kind of business you want to start and if you can carry off this venture successfully. It will also help you to stay ahead on the business set up and establish a thriving bakery