Societies Degrees of Mental Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Societies Degrees of Mental Wellness - Essay Example Here, one can start considering the multitudes of psychological testing they endured before expiration. Then, familiar pop-culture icons are useful in bringing reality to the subject of insanity which, he says, has inoculated all of society. So, those interested in the extremes of horror for their personal entertainment become news headline. Those indulging in such primal insanity bring personal fears up front, close and personal because they were never caught. He also reinforces those warnings the parents and caregivers pass onto their children, as they venture out into a world where everyone is dealing with issues of psychological wellness to some degree, leaving individuals ill-equipped to identify people like those who got away with it. Upon the review of his literary and cinematic stories, it gives one pause when trying to pin point him on his own mental illness scale. Therefore, horror entertainment fanatics are targeted by Stephen King, as he introduces them to what he calls a totally mentally ill society. He shows how all the forms of horror entertainment allow followers to savor their individual mental illness without repercussions, because they are authorized by pop-culture idols and logically ingested by his use of deep-seated analogies, which leave the audience with a humorous look at our society as being made up of a population of the mentally ill. When the analysis turns the reader to seek out and determine the normal, conservative reactionaries, King directs them to pop-culture icons. First, by showing in the horror film junkie what real ugliness is; then, he shows the beauty that a lot of people aspire to and, in turn, lets them know that no one could never be truly ugly†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Freda Jackson as the horrible melting woman in Die, Monster, Die! confirms for us that no matter how far we may be removed from the beauty of a Robert Redford or a Diana Ross, we are still light-years from true ugliness.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (King, line 8). To explain this , Freda Jackson is perceived as a melting woman in Die Monster, Die! substantiates that no matter how far we may be away from the beauties of Diana Ross or Robert Redford, we are not even close to being ugly. This also results into feeling re-establishment of ordinarily; the horror film is essentially traditional and reactionary. This leaves those who watch such films to sit back and simply get entertained and have fun, only that this type of fun is unique in its coming from seeing other menaced and even occasionally killed. This has led to some critics suggesting that horror film has been turned into public form of execution. As King complements readers on their behavior, people are only there to enjoy each other and to clarify one's reality of normalcy. He says, â€Å"I think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better – and maybe not all that much better, after all.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (King, line 1). Something worth noting i s that everybody is insane; what brings the difference amongst them is the degree of sanity. It is at this point that the severely insane part of society is acknowledgeable by those who have not expired at their hands, or otherwise. For instance, there are those capable of carving women, like in the case of Jack, â€Å"were the likes of Jack the Ripper, the Cleveland Torso Murderer, we clap you away in the funny farm (but

Weekly Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly Reflection - Essay Example The rights of the suspected criminal are guaranteed by the 4th, 5th and 6th amendments of the constitution of the United States (Miller, 2011). Substantive law originates from the legislative statues and the common legal system. On the other hand, civil law is recognized as the branch of common law which deals with the relations between institutions and individuals. This law entails certain rules, which are used by various jurisdictions in order to determine the sentence for a criminal offense in regard to the relationship between an institution and an individual. According to various scholars, these regulations are designed in order to ensure justice in the courts of law (Miller, 2011). Civil law can be distinguished from substantive law. In fact, civil law defines the procedure which allows the action of the law. Lastly, there are civil rights, which are closely interrelated to the civil law. Some of these rights include the right to life, justice and education among others (Miller,

Discuss the Satire of Pride and Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Discuss the Satire of Pride and Prejudice Essay The explanation of satire in the Oxford English dictionary is using humour or exaggeration to show what is bad about a person or thing In Pride and Prejudice this notion is almost played upon, with Jane Austen using satire throughout the novel in different ways. It is an entertaining way of subtly poking fun at a person, or group of people, which they are perhaps unaware of. Pride and Prejudice is a light-hearted novel, which although it picks out particular faults in society which existed then, and as Jane Austen sees them, it is a different type of satire to the type of satire that George Orwell uses in animal farm. Whilst Orwell is poking fun at a political system, Austen is poking fun at the social circles that surround her in everyday life. In my own personal view, both successfully ridicule the groups that they intend to. Both authors play on the faults, and enlarge and exaggerate them. Although Austen uses satire in her novel, it is concealed to all but the intelligent; who see the real purpose and not just the comical factor of it all. Austen uses it lightly, and subtly, it is not blatant. She uses it benignly, and never means to be harsh, and offensive. She shows what she has observed, and picks peoples traits; it is the people around her who are the inspiration for the characters in her novels. Using satire she showed the social snobbery between the classes. She showed how the wealthy upper class abused their rank and class and considered himself or herself higher than anyone else. They used people to gain social status in society, and for example, Mr. Collins used to name drop to gain respect from others, when frequently it would backfire on him, and the people would either end up laughing at him or disliking him entirely. Quite often when a person was being rude to them, they would not notice, as it was subtle, this is satire. It is a way of stirring, but it is only ever-affected people if they could interpret it properly. In the text itself, it is very effective. On the surface the novel seems like a complicated love-story, but underneath it shows the true traits of society in the time of Jane Austen. Austen uses characters from the novel to depict the different types of people that there were in those times. In the novel there are several characters that are continually made fun of satirically. The novel starts with a strong statement, It is truth universally known that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in need of a wife. This is as if it is set in stone, and believed by a lot of the characters, such as Mrs. Bennet, Lydia and Charlotte Lucas. By saying this, it is showing the woman to be shallow, and only really caring about the material things in life, such as how much money a man has. The more money he has, the more appealing he is to marry. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is another example of a character that has been satirised. She is a lady who comes from the Upper Crust of society, and has a very high opinion of her. She thinks herself to be highly intelligent and superior to everyone else. She overprotects her daughter, and has an immense amount of control over those who are of her acquaintance. Austen shows Lady Catherines true character using dialogue. For example, when Lady Catherine goes to visit Lizzie Bennet, and they have an argument, Lady Catherine defends her self by saying; Do you know who I am? You are shown whom she really is when she talks. Her opinion is strong, and she dislikes people talking back at her. In the novel, when Lizzie Bennet was dining with her, she would frequently ask a question, then answer it herself. Austen uses Lady Catherine as an example of a person who has a lot of money, and I high up in the social hierarchy, but lacks manners and tact, and is a general snob. A close acquaintance of Lady Catherine is Mr. Collins; who is a cousin of the Bennets. He is the chaplain at Rosings Park, for Lady Catherine. Mr. Collins almost worships Lady Catherine, as she has a lot of money, and he name is well known in society. He is incredibly materialistic, and puts money over personality. He tries to impress people by name dropping, often using Lady Catherine, in hope to gain popularity. He feels that it is important to do this, so that people will be impressed by him, as not only does he know Lady Catherine, he dines with her at least once a week. He is an example of someone who thinks that he has to be accepted in society and does this by varied means. He is a snob, and dislikes people that he feels are below him, although he himself is not highly popular. He has a fine image of himself in his head, and holds a good opinion of himself. You are shown that he is shallow when he asks Lizzie Bennet to marry him, as he claims that he is in love with her, and then when she refuses, he quickly got engaged to Charlotte Lucas, which just proves that he did not love Lizzie, and only asked her, as Lady Catherine said that he should have a wife. He is satirically made fun of most when he proposes to Lizzie Bennet. Austen makes the reader almost pity him, as he embarrasses himself to no end, without really knowing it, and making the reader laugh at him. You can compare Mr. Collins to Mr. Darcy. Mr Darcy is high up in the social hierarchy, as he takes after his fathers name who set such an example, and he sees no reason for him to name drop at all, especially as he is already at the height of society anyway. Mr. Darcy comes across as the type of person who is actually fine with those who are below him, and although he may be off with them, and have formed opinions of them, his mind is not closed, and so there is a chance for it to change. This is shown when he is kind and civil to the Bennets who were not of the same class as him. Mr. Darcy does not seem to enjoy the company of Mr. Collins as he is a sycophant, and tries to get to know Mr. Darcy by talking about Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcys aunt. He is an example of someone who is a gentleman, and does not abuse his social rank, although it may seems like that to many people who do not know him very well. Mr. Darcy was born into money, and so always knew what it was like, and so does not need to abuse it, when there are other people who were not born into money, and do. For example, they might have got their money from labouring, and then made it big, and disowned their former history, and then mocked the people who were labouring. The Bingley sisters are a perfect example of this. The Bingley sisters are examples of new money, people who were not born into money, but made their money themselves. Even though this is the case, they like to think that they were born into money, and pretend that they were always in polite society. They abuse their rank in society, and they mock the people who they feel are below them, they think that those who work for their money are of the lower class; this is ironic as they themselves made their money in such a way. The Bingley sisters are examples of people who have money, and really abuse it by thinking that they are very high up in life, and are rude to those who they think are below them. Mr. Bingley is a true gentlemen, who does not distinguish a person by how much money they have. He is an example to all those who thought that they were better than anyone else were. He treated everyone with respect. This is shown when he falls in love with Jane Bennet, who everyone else thought was far below him, and that Mr. Bingley was far superior to her. He showed everyone else that it did not matter where a person was on the rich list, but what sort of person they were, and that their personality mattered. William Lucas was a vain and boastful man, and boasts a lot about his knighthood, but he isnt really all that experienced, and it is all just a large faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade that he is hiding behind. He is an example of someone who is really proud, but does not really have a reason to be proud. All of the characters mentioned, and several others in the novel are metaphorically wearing a mask, and pretend to be something that they are not, just so that they can be excepted into polite society. They are all one person, as they are like sheep, and copy each other, so that they can also be excepted easier. For example, when no-one knew of the deeds Wickham had done, everyone liked him, as most people did, but when some people found out what he had done, even if they did not tell anyone, you could tell that everyone else was trying to copy them by not being civil to him. They just used to follow the crowd, and they would get so caught up in what they were trying to be, that they would forget who they really were, and what their real identity was. Austen depicts this using satire in her novel, and makes it known to the reader what it was like in those times. In some ways it also can be reflected on what it still is nowadays, except nowadays there is a sheet over it all, and so you cannot see it that much. All in all I think that the satire is very affective, and I think that Austen uses it to her advantages, and it reflects true fully what the real situation was in those times, and how it was hard to tell whom the real people were. I think that the satire that she uses is really clever, and it makes you think a lot. On the surface it is quite light hearted, but underneath the surface it is much deeper than humour, and it makes you understand that there was a lot of people who were so obsessed with being sociable, that in the end you had to laugh at them. It is hard to understand it fully nowadays, as times have changed, and people have different understandings. The satire could become diluted in such situations, but I think that in this case it does not, and it stays strong. I think this because it just makes the modern world which we live in seem so much more trivial, and it gives you an understanding of what it must have been like to live then. I feel that the satire used in Pride and Prejudice is altogether witty, and clever, never once failing to mean something.

Bullying speech Essay Example for Free

Bullying speech Essay What does it feel like to wake up in the morning and look forward to a day of teasing and name calling? What does it feel like to be engulfed in a world of negativity? Bullying Unwanted and aggressive behavior among school aged children involving real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying is no man’s best friend and it shouldn’t be. We see it all around us in our daily lives. All across the United States, this form of victimization has become an infamous trend among scholars. About 3 million out of America’s 21 million students are affected by bullying. That is about 1 student in every 7 students! Numerous people have different perspectives on what bullying is. Some think it means physical hurting while others think it is only emotional hurting. All of these are correct due to the fact that there are different ways one can be bullied. Bullying is unwanted and repeated behavior among students which includes Physical, Verbal, Indirect, social Alienation, Intimidation and Cyber Bullying. see more:speeches on bullying Physical bullying is a serious problem it is when one person or a group of people picks on or harasses another person in a face to face confrontational manner. Verbal bullying is the most common form but it is just as bad as the other types. It is when an individual uses verbal language (e.g., insults, teasing, etc.) to gain power over his or her peers. Social Alienation is one type of bullying whereby exclusion is occurring between students due to social differences. The devastating part about this form is that it is not easily recognized as a form of bullying. Intimidation is the acts of making someone feel fearful by using threats. Last but not least, Cyber bullying which happens when kids bully each other through electronic devices. Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet. With the increase in our use of technology, this form of bullying is increasing to higher rates. How can you stop this from happening? How can we put an end to bullying? It’s simple. The best way is NOT ignoring it whenever you see it going on. STEP UP! And be an advocate for your fellow peers that are hurting. Bulling is BAD! And it is up to YOU if you would let it happen when  you see it going on or stop it. experience

To What Extent Were Gorbachevs Reforms A Failure Politics Essay

To What Extent Were Gorbachevs Reforms A Failure Politics Essay The second half of the 1980s was marked as the fundamental change in the Soviet era. The era of reconstruction, Perestroika had gone into history, with the main purpose of introducing the new Soviet Union, which was the creation of the legal social state and democratisation of a new country. It is considered the most dramatic event in political economy to happen since the Great Depression of the 1930s  [1]   The research question: To what extent could the political and socio-economic consequences of Gorbachevs reforms be considered a failure? adopts a critical and evaluative approach of the Soviet reforms such as, perestroika, new political thinking and glasnost, during the mid 1980s, assessing negative as well as positive consequences of the reform. This investigation explores the question of whether the socio-economic and political changes caused by Gorbachevs reforms can be either justified as a complete failure, contributing to decline in socio-economic development and political factors, or on the other side viewed as a successful policy, that brought freedom to East Europe. For answering the question it is essential to examine the political and socio-economic conditions and address the necessity of such changes that was caused by a profound crisis in the of the Soviet-Union pre-Gorbachev era prevailing in late 1970s. Regardless of the conclusion, this topic will remain under controversy causing different judgments among the historians, as an Emeritus Professor of politics at Oxford University said: The extent to which he [Gorbachev] is regarded a success or a failure will long remain a matter of controversy. There seems no doubt, though, that both in Russia and outside he will be regarded as a figure of decisive importance, regardless of whether his activities are viewed positively or highly negatively.  [2]   During the investigation a wide range of sources was used, representing polar opposite perspectives of the West and the East, from both the time of Perestroika and in hindsight. The sources used can be separated into three groups. The first group were those who believed that the initiative and perseverance of Mikhail Gorbachevs reforms made the first step to ensure the transformation of the country to a civilised state of the Western world. The second group- evaluates Gorbachevs reforms more negatively, believing that his imperialistic policy has led to serious irreversible consequences of the country. Finally, the third group includes political scientists and economists like Marshall I. Goldman and who combine their studies in both approaches, considering both positive and negative aspects of Perestroika. Therefore, the essay will be divided into Political and Socio-Economic reforms of Perestroika during 1985 and 1991 according to these identified groups. 2. Conditions in the Soviet Union prior to Perestroika The necessity of Perestroika and such radical changes were caused by the profound crisis of the Soviet system that were formed in the late 70s including the fall of Soviet authority in the eyes of public opinion in the Soviet Russian and in the Eastern Europe, a so-called socialist camp, where new democratic ideas were forming and demanding more human and political rights, as well as a rejection of the totalitarian regime. Therefore, for Mikhail Gorbachev, his reforms were seen as the best solution to the urgent political and socio-economic problems, which were aimed to strengthen and develop the Soviet Union. Furthermore, he was not anticipating that Perestroika would lead to a complete collapse of the system and USSR. a) Political Between 1980 and 1984, the changes in leadership have had a great impact on destabilising the government. Moreover, USA USSR relations were getting worse every day. After the Yalta Conference and Churchills Iron Curtain speech all contributed to the growing fear of the Soviet Union  [3]  and the beginning of the Cold War. The rivalry of two sides, has increased the military budget of the country, while not helping its economy. Additionally, in the mid 1980s, the Soviet Union was demonstrating its military might in the Afghan war that has also turned against it.  [4]   b) Socio-Economic Prior to perestroika, the Soviet economy was marked by the extensive economic growth in the late 1960s that began to pull to the economical development backwards. In the consequent 20 years USSR has experienced a rapid decline in growth of industry from 8.5% to 3.5%. There was also a problematic situation in consumers market which was also linked to the drop of oil prices. According to the economists, the prices of raw materials were comparatively cheap to other products, which caused inefficient and wasteful usage of these raw materials.  [5]  Between 1970 and 1980 USSR has earned 170 billion US dollars from the petroleum export. However, again, this money was invested into the military expansion and purchase of new machinery which was inefficiently used and did not enrich the country in the long run.  [6]   The agricultural situation in the Soviet Union was also rather complex. The money earned from petroleum exports was used for food imports, instead of introducing new efficient agricultural reforms substituting the old collective system. The economic problems reflected on production in both agrarian and industrial sectors of the country. The harvest fell from 237 million tons from 1978 to 158 million tons in 1981, depicting a very radical change. Similarly, the production of steel fell from 151 million in the 1978 to 147 million in 1982, which is particularly surprising as it always has been constant apart from the World War II period.  [7]   The economic and political constraints in the country such as economic stagnation and corruption, contributed to the rapid decline in the social sphere. Budgets proportion that went to people was not simply enough. This has lead to various social problems such as low standards of living, health care and high levels of alcoholism. These three main factors have affected the ideological and moral values of the people in the country causing demoralisation of the society. That also affected the quality and efficiency of work, such as poor working habits and incentives. As a result, in the early 80s the income per capita has decreased three fold compared to mid 60s. Additionally, there were issues with income distribution, resulting in high inequality between the lower and higher classes. This, of course, all went against the communist ideology. People were deprived of the civil rights and as a result various dissident movements broke in USSR and Eastern Europe. 3. Analysis of Political Reforms a) Glasnost Glasnost was the main political reform introduced in 1986 by Gorbachev. After 50 years of silence and fear the society was finally allowed to speak and express its opinions. With the policy of Glasnost, which Gorbachev has referred to as the other side of the Perestroikas coin, the system became less strict in many aspects of the society. This has included media, reduction in censorship and freedom of speech, opening up USSR to the rest of the world. Only in the year 1986 more than 14 million new newspapers were printed. After Olympic boycotts, the 1986 Goodwill games were seen live from both sides of the Iron Curtain. In the period of two years Gorbachev has made the fear disappear, bringing pop-culture to the USSR, creating a new breed of young people.  [8]   The policy of glasnost was responsible for drastically changing the spiritual life for people. The government ceased prosecution of many key figures that were exiled under Stalins rule, like Andrei Sakharov, who was in  internal exile for seven years.  [9]  Gorbachev said that they need glasnost in order to ensure fulfillment of tasks of the Party Congress  [10]  or in other words Perestroika was used as the base for his reforms. Primarily it was aimed to criticise and expose the corrupt leadership and was an instrument to improve political activity. In his speech to the January 1987 CC Plenum, Gorbachev has said: there can  be no person beyond criticism or people with no right to criticise.  [11]   b) Intellectual Elite Natan Edelman, a well-known historian, wrote in 1989: that the intellectuals support for Perestroika  is virtually unanimous.  [12]  All the great minds that were deprived during the Soviet Regime, has benefited from Gorbachevs reforms. Gorbachevs reforms have assured intellectuals of the right to free speech, unprecedented artistic freedom, wide access to the mass media, and a chance to be elected to the Soviet legislature and to serve in government.  [13]  These were the kind of thinkers who were essential for countrys future growth. c) Democratisation With the reform of Perestroika a general democratisation of life began in the country. Gorbachev publicly stated that Democratisation will not weaken our society but on the contrary, it will strengthen it.  [14]  Even though many were against the political reforms, the supreme Council has adopted two new laws changing and altering the Constitution of the USSR, and introducing voting system for peoples deputies. The final stage of the political reform which was the Congress of public Deputies of the USSR, has elected Gorbachev as the president of the USSR. Despite the numerous mistakes in the reforms, this was still a significant step towards liberation from the previous one-party system. d) US-Soviet Relations The slogan of the new political thinking, was a big change for the USSR and the world. The main idea of the concept was that any military conflict, is wrong. During the 1987 Washington Summit meeting between leaders of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev and the U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a disarmament treaty was finally agreed and signed.  [15]  Gorbachevs new thinking and non-aggressive policy improved the US-Soviet relations as well as the international situation in general. Weapons of mass destruction were reduced by 2000 warheads. USSR has refused to further confront the West and wished for an end of the Cold War, for which Gorbachev received a Nobel Prize. This breakthrough has not only brought relief to the American-Soviet tensions, but has also allowed Gorbachev to cut the military budget that was essential to reduce the inflationary pressure and improve the living standards.  [16]   e) Afghan War and The Brezhnev Doctrine During 27th Party Congress in February/March 1986 after confirming the Brezhnev Doctrine,  [17]  the failed operation in maintaining Afghanistan gave Gorbachev no other choice in than to abandon the Doctrine and follow the policy of Perestroika. By 1989 Gorbachev withdrew almost all combat personnel from Afghanistan.  [18]   After the free elections in Poland which were marked by Communist Partys defeat by Solidarity in 1989, Gorbachev has renounced the Brezhnev Doctrine.  [19]  His speech at the UN on Dec. 7, 1989 represents the abandonment of communism from the Eastern Europe. In the next two years, their  numerical strength will be reduced by 500,000 persons, and the volume  of conventional arms will also be cut considerably. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. By agreement with our allies in the  Warsaw Pact, we have made the decision to withdraw six tank divisions  from the GDR, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, and to disband them by 1991.  [20]   f) Conclusion of political reforms The results of Perestroika in terms of foreign policy and political freedom cannot be considered a failure. Due to the policy of glasnost, the media and formation of independent press could now criticise anyone they wanted. People were finally free to speak. Perestroika was a big step towards liberalism with multyparty system and elections.  [21]   Now, almost 20 years after Perestroika, Gorbachev himself, who has lost the political power to Yeltsin after Perestroika, does not regret his actions and marks the results of his reforms as success . Gorbachev claims: it was such a success as it launched the democratic process in the Soviet Union. After the break-up of  USSR, Russia today is continuing to develop the market economy as well as pluralism in several domains such as politics, ideologies, religion, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [22]   Collapse of the Soviet totalitarian empire and the formation of the 15 new states, some of which later became the members of NATO and a part of new Europe; destruction of the socialist camp and the Warsaw Pact with democratic changes in the political system can all be seen as examples of positive sides of Gorbachevs reform. It also had a further positive effect on economic reforms, that in the long-run has resulted in growth in Eastern Europe and Russia. Moreover, according to Gorbachev, another positive side was that they have managed to avoid a real bloodbath  [23]  in achieving these changes. On contrary, the radical changes were not welcomed by most of the older generation Soviet party members. They believed that the perfect Soviet regime has started to lose its totalitarian control and its isolationist character. For example, the control over media that resulted in a weaker censorship, has then opened many negative aspects of USSR that has been previously presented to be flawless. Gen. Valentin Varennikov, Chief of Soviet Ground Forces has stated that the social and military situation of the country was becoming worse  [24]  and Nina Anderyeva, a historian, saw the younger generations negative attitude towards the Soviet past as a moral degradation and a negative result of Glasnost.  [25]  The society has started to hear the problems in the Soviet Union such as poor living conditions, alcoholism etc. The nationalistic feeling and the strive to independence from the East European countries has increased. Many ethical problems which were previously sealed, have now opened into various riots, demanding for greater independence and stabilisation of the economy. 4. Analysis of Socio-economic Reforms a) Economic reforms The crisis in the economic development was a significant reason for the Soviet leadership in changing the structure of the economy. In July 1987, the  Supreme Soviet  has passed the Law on State Enterprise. It was seen as the key in conversion to a market economy  [26]  . The core of reform included the abandonment of the old planned economy and transition of the decision-making from state to private businesses. This has resulted in abolition of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the GKES, which were involved in foreign economic operations before.  [27]   However, the initial process of privatisation was much slower than planned. A small number of vendors was the main reason for high prices on the market, and the prices of goods in cooperatives were always higher than the prices in state stores. By 1989, only after one year of Perestroikas inception there were 133,000 private ownerships. However, in comparison to Chinas ten million private enterprises in 1980,  [28]  it is only demonstrating the Soviet delay in the privatisation. Due to mistakes in reforms and social elements in the system, the transformation of the Soviet planned system into a free market economy has failed. The third economic change, was the Venture Law, that went into effect in June 1987 after Gorbachev and his leadership have decided to open the doors of the Soviet market to foreign firms. This was completely against the Marxist ideology and was viewed as an economic and political espionage by the Soviet party members, fearing that the capitalists would gain control over the Soviet market, exploiting their workers as well as stealing their ideas.  [29]  However, it was more the Soviet government and the newly bred mafia that took advantage of this, rather than the foreign companies which instead have brought advances to the Russian market. b) Agricultural reforms A similar situation was in the agrarian sector. In May 1, 1987 Gorbachev has authorised the establishment of individual farming and has introduced decollectivisation. However, again, this process was very slow. By 1990 there were only 20  000 private farms in the Soviet Union, from that only 240 were registered in Russia and only 4 in Ukraine!  [30]  Many who did set up the private farms were subject to attacks and were classified as kulaks. In contrast, to compare with contemporary dynamics, the Chinese process of decollectivisation went at a much faster pace. By 1980 in China all farms were decollectivised.  [31]   c) Anti-alcohol campaign Perestroika has also introduced socio-economic reforms to tackle serious problems like alcoholism that also affected the economical growth. Gorbachevs anti-alcohol campaign was aimed to decrease the consumption of alcohol, improve health and increase the efficiency of the work force and production. However, the anti-alcohol campaign had a rather negative impact on the Soviet economy. As this was a great hit for the state monopolies, including the disappearance of vineyards in Georgia and other republics. It has decreased the tax income by 13% and was said to cost the Soviet Union 200 billion Rubles. It did not stop people from drinking, instead the policy encouraged black markets and increased the production of moonshine,  [32]  that were usually low-quality and harmful for health. Additionally, it had a side effect on the consumption of sugar as home-made vodka required large quantities of sugar for production. The increase in consumption was 10 kilograms per capita in only 5 ye ars, effecting the market and the prices. Both sugar shortage and the reduction in imports of consumer goods combined with inflation caused a buyers panic.  [33]  Moreover, the situation got worse as not only sugar disappeared from the markets but normal goods from sugar to furniture. As a result consumer behavior was to buy as many goods as possible to avoid future shortages, spending hours in queues for nearly everything.  [34]  . d) Conclusion of socio-economic reforms During the years of Perestroika nothing significant was actually done to reform the economic methods. There were many laws adopted that allowed small businesses and private corporations, however, none had any fundamental effect on the principles of the Soviet economy. The political reforms have lead to governments losing of control over the national economy that they had planned out for many years. Gorbachevs indecisiveness in his reforms might explain the fact that he did not know what he was doing. A rapid decline in production has resulted in 20% decline in national income. The consumption of new machinery and lower tax revenues contributed to a rapid increase of the budget deficit. Table 1 shows the estimate budget deficit of the country between 1978 and 1990. CIA states that in 10 years the deficit had increased from 16 billion rubles to 68 billion rubles and later on increased even further reaching three digit values. Although different sources have different values and estimations, it is a fact that the situation catastrophically affected the people. As a result, to decrease the deficit more money was printed which has additionally increased the inflation. As Gorbachev has stated in his speech in the 1990 We have lost control over the financial situation in the country. By late 1990 the inflationary prices of goods were increasing at a 20% rate per annum and few years later this value has increased to 70%.  [35]  There were shortages of various consumer goods and a rat ioning system was introduced. This resulted in a drop of living standards, the Soviet Union fell to 82nd place in the world in terms of living standards. Another problem that has elevated during the economical crisis, was a serious debt as the expenditures were 20-30 % higher than the income (GDP)  [36]  . The debt of the Soviet Union was estimated to be about 60 billion dollars. The Soviet Union had to sell its gold reserves to purchase the foreign currency. This is a very bright illustration that Perestroika has not only failed to improve the old system, instead it disturbed the old system and further deteriorated the situation. 5. Conclusion According to the existing evidence, it is clear that Perestroika has suffered a defeat in the form it was originally conceived  [37]  from a socio-economic side and failed in achieving its main aims in improving the economic situation, instead had rather negative results and consequences. Gorbachevs reconstruction has weakend the social and economic conditions in the country. A further phrase by Aleksandr Zaychenko further proves this statement: Russians today [in 1989] eat worse than did Russians in 1913 under the Czars.  [38]   Even though elimination of the state monopoly in foreign trade was a positive sign in transformation to the market economy, as foreign corporations were able to show the Soviet system new and more advanced ways of doing business. This was a sign that He [Gorbachev] knew where he wanted to end up, with a more productive, consumer-oriented economy, but he did not know how to get there.  [39]  Between 1985 and 1991, ten new economic reforms have been introduced, and not a single one was ever implemented  [40]  no one went down that road before. As a result this half-measure in the economy has lead to an economic crisis. After the reconstruction of the old approaches to the economy there were no new methods that would replace the old ways, the Soviet economy was stuck in the middle between the planned and private economies, which are considered as an economic failure. As stated by Marshall I. Goldman, an expert on the Soviet economy, his book Went Wrong with Perestroika, clearly shows the fundamental problems in socio-economic sphere that were formed as result of Gorbachevs indecisive maneuvers and highlights their contribution to result in a total failure and the collapse of the whole system. On equilibrium, however, political factors seem to be more successful. Reforms like: Glasnost and New Political Thinking, played a crucial role in improving the U.S.-Soviet relations breaking the tensions and diminishing the possibility of a military conflict between the two military blocks, NATO and the Warsaw Pact, as well as finally opening the iron curtain and breaking the Berlin wall. Additionally, Mikhail Gorbachevs new thinkingduring Perestroika was the key in ending the Cold War. After 5 decades of hostilities, In the last few years, throughout the world  people were able to heave a sigh of relief, thanks to the changes for  the better in the substance and atmosphere of the relations between  Moscow and Washington.  [41]  Additionally, after three decades of confrontation USSR became friends with China. This all was doubtlessly one of Gorbachevs successful achievements of his reforms. People take Gorbachev as a hero, others accuse him of causing a disaster  [42]  . Similarly Perestroika is considered as a failure because it has given way to the totalitarian control of the country and, on the other side, can be considered a success for giving freedom to people. Peoples conclusions are linked to their understanding of things.  [43]  These understandings will change with time and therefore change their whole idea towards the event. 7. Bibliography Books Charles Bukowski, and J. Richard Walsh, eds.,  Glasnost, Perestroika, and the Socialist Community  (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1990) Peter J. Boettke,  Why Perestroika Failed: The Politics and Economics of Socialist Transformation  (New York: Routledge, 1993) Mikhail S. Gorbachev, 39 Address at the Forty-Third Un General Assembly Session, December 7, 1988,  The Soviet System: From Crisis to Collapse, ed. Alexander Dallin andGail W. Lapidus (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995) Marshall I. Goldman,  What Went Wrong with Perestroika  (New York: W. W. Norton, 1992) Ronald E. Powaski,  The Cold War The United States and the Soviet Union, 1917-1991,   (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998) Dmitri N. Shalin, ed.,  Russian Culture at the Crossroads: Paradoxes of Postcommunist Consciousness  (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996) Joanne Wright, 3: The End of the Cold War: The Brezhnev Doctrine,  Why the Cold War Ended: A Range of Interpretations, ed. Ralph Summy andMichael E. Salla (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995) William E. Watson,  The Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union  (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998) Thomas C. Owen,  Russian Corporate Capitalism from Peter the Great to Perestroika  (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995) Hunt, Lynn: The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. (Bedford/St. Martins, Boston and London, 2009) Magazine Peter Hylarides, Mikhail Gorbachev and Perestroika,  Contemporary ReviewAutumn 2008,  Questia, Web, 1 Jan. 2011. Journal Vanden Heuvel, Perestroika and After: Comrade Ligachev Tells His Side,  The Nation  2 Dec. 1991,  Questia, Web, 1 Jan. 2011. Websites Structural Reforms, 1986 to Mid-1988 http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-12788.html Communist Party of the Soviet Union. CENTRAL COMMITTEE. MINUTES Of Meeting No. 2 of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU September 20, 1990, http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/o2gorby.html Mikhail Gorbachev, former USSR President  :Perestroika won, but politically I lost. Euronews Inerview 05/11/09 17:31 CET http://www.euronews.net/2009/11/05/mikhail-gorbachev-former-ussr-president-perestroika-won-but-politically-i-lost/ 1985: Anti- Alcohol Campaign http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subjectSubjectID=1985drylawYear=1985navi=byYear 1987 | Nuclear Disarmament http://www.austria1989.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=66Itemid=96 1988 | Gorbachev Ends the Cold War http://www.austria1989.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=67Itemid=97 Video Gorbachev, Glasnost, Perestroika, Arms Agreement , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=595W4JJHa2U

The Management of Stress Essay -- Game Plan, Unhealthy Diet

Everybody has at least one thing in common. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed, heartbreak, you’re right, but that’s not the answer I’m looking for. The correct answer is stress. Everyone has stress in his or her life at one point or another. It’s one of many inevitable parts of life. Whether it’s busting out a research paper for Psychology at the last minute, expecting your first child to be born, to making sure you’re up in time to catch the Saturday morning cartoons, it’s clearly evident that everyone goes through stress. The real question is, how is stress handled in our society? A person is defined by how they handle the stressors in their lives and how they overcome stressful moments. This paper will explore the aspects of stress management; hoping to help others in their times of stress. To fully understand stress management, one must understand the natural stress response. When a person encounters a perceived threat, the hypothalamus, a tiny region located at the base of the brain, sets off an alarm in their body. Through a combination of both nerve and hormonal signals, the system prompts their adrenal glands, located at the top of the kidneys, to release a surge of hormones which include adrenaline and cortisol. The adrenaline causes an increase in the heart rate, thus causing an increase in the blood pressure and energy supplies of the individual. Cortisol, which is the primary stress hormone, creates an increase in sugars which are known as glucose in the bloodstream. This enhances the brain’s use of glucose and decreases the availability of substances that help repair tissues. This alarm system also communicates with regions of the brain that control moods, motivation, and fear. Once the perceived threat has p... ...uestion? Works Cited America’s #1 Health Problem. (n.d.). Retrieved from The American Institute of Stress website: http://www.stress.org/americas-1-health-problem/ Borchard, T. (2010). 18 Ways to Manage Stress. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 1, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/06/23/18-ways-to-manage-stress/ Chronic stress puts your health at risk. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001 Heissman, K. (2012). Stress Management Practices: What Works and What Doesn’t. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 1, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/stress-management-practices-what-works-and-what-doesnt/00011942 Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress. (n.d.). Retrieved from Helpguide.org website:http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

Crushed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie essays

Crushed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚   Tennessee Williams is known for his use of symbols, tension, and irony. Williams uses all of these components to express the central theme of The Glass Menagerie - hope followed by despair. Each of the characters has dreams that are destroyed by the harsh realities of the world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the narrator blatantly admits, 'since I have a poet's weakness for symbols', symbols are central to The Glass Menagerie (Williams 30). Symbols are merely concrete substitutions used to express a particular theme, idea, or character. One major symbol is the fire escape which has a separate function for each of the characters. This fire escape provides a means of escape for Tom from his cramped apartment and nagging mother. Therefore, the fire escape for him represents a path to the outside world. For the gentleman caller, the fire escape provides the means through which Jim can enter the Wingfield apartment, thus entering their lives. For Amanda, the fire escape allows Jim to come into the apartment and prevent Laura from becoming a spinster. The significance of the fire escape for Laura is that it is her door to the inside world in which she can hide. It is ironic that when Laura does leave the security of her apartment, she falls. This symbolises Laura's inability to function properly in the outside world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another recurring symbol is the glass menagerie which represents Laura's hypersensitive nature and fragility. Laura is just as easily broken as a glass unicorn - and just as unique. When Jim accidentally bumps into the unicorn and breaks it, the unicorn is no longer unique. Likewise, when Jim kisses Laura and then shatters her hopes by telling her he's eng... ...ructure of the entire play -   an ironic pattern of romantic expectations, momentary fulfilment, and ultimate loss' (Thompson 13).    Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. King, Thomas L. "Irony and Distance in The Glass Menagerie." In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Thompson, Judith J. Tennessee Williams' Plays: Memory, Myth, and Symbol. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.    Crushed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie essays Crushed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚   Tennessee Williams is known for his use of symbols, tension, and irony. Williams uses all of these components to express the central theme of The Glass Menagerie - hope followed by despair. Each of the characters has dreams that are destroyed by the harsh realities of the world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the narrator blatantly admits, 'since I have a poet's weakness for symbols', symbols are central to The Glass Menagerie (Williams 30). Symbols are merely concrete substitutions used to express a particular theme, idea, or character. One major symbol is the fire escape which has a separate function for each of the characters. This fire escape provides a means of escape for Tom from his cramped apartment and nagging mother. Therefore, the fire escape for him represents a path to the outside world. For the gentleman caller, the fire escape provides the means through which Jim can enter the Wingfield apartment, thus entering their lives. For Amanda, the fire escape allows Jim to come into the apartment and prevent Laura from becoming a spinster. The significance of the fire escape for Laura is that it is her door to the inside world in which she can hide. It is ironic that when Laura does leave the security of her apartment, she falls. This symbolises Laura's inability to function properly in the outside world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another recurring symbol is the glass menagerie which represents Laura's hypersensitive nature and fragility. Laura is just as easily broken as a glass unicorn - and just as unique. When Jim accidentally bumps into the unicorn and breaks it, the unicorn is no longer unique. Likewise, when Jim kisses Laura and then shatters her hopes by telling her he's eng... ...ructure of the entire play -   an ironic pattern of romantic expectations, momentary fulfilment, and ultimate loss' (Thompson 13).    Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. King, Thomas L. "Irony and Distance in The Glass Menagerie." In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Thompson, Judith J. Tennessee Williams' Plays: Memory, Myth, and Symbol. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.