Who Is Jesus Essay Example for Free

Who Is Jesus Essay To say who Jesus Christ is within one essay would be an impossibility. However, as a servant of my Lord and Savior, I will attempt to explain who my precious Jesus is. Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God and He is also the Son of man. He is the atonement for our sins; he is the King of glory. Jesus is the bright and morning star and a mighty counselor and teacher. He is the great physician and the bread of life. Jesus is the bread of life; the first and the last; the Alpha and the Omega. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. To me, personally, Jesus is my strength and the best thing that has ever happened to me! He is my Savior; my Redeemer and my best friend. And what He is to me, He desires to be to the whole world. He is the good Sheppard; He gives life for the sheep. (John 10:11, King James Version) Jesus’ mission to the world is to seek and save that which is lost. The whole reason he left Heaven and came to this earth and was crucified was so that we could be saved by His blood. We know what his mission was by reading His holy word, the Bible. John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. So, in conclusion, let me say that this Jesus that I am describing is the reason for living and without Him, life would not be worth anything. I love Him so much. But, most of all, He loves me.

The Psychology in African American Essay Example for Free

The Psychology in African American Essay ?Over the last 500 years, our country has established and battled one of the largest socio-tragedies known to man: racism. While this pestilent issue has affected many ethnic groups, the most publicly known is the racial discrimination concerning African Americans. By my reasoning, along with many sociologists and psychologists, racism is the root cause of African American race socialization. Race socialization is the theory of verbal and non-verbal messages being transmitted to specific ethnic groups for the positive or negative development of behaviors, philosophies, morals, and attitudes concerning the significance and importance of racial stratification, intergroup interactions, and personal and group identity. The timespan in which I will be surveying connects milestones of race socialization with many of the most significant moments in United States history. The primary sources I will be using as support for this paper will be several works by W. E. B. Du Bois1 and a book by Dr. Faye Belgrave entitled African American Psychology: From Africa to America2. The psychological effect that racism and race socialization has had on African Americans is more than apparent not only through texts written by various sociologists and psychologists, but also throughout history. I will focus on a specific fifty-year span when race socialization took effect, racism was socially acceptable and ultimately racism was combatted. It is my purpose in this paper to discuss, examine and determine the psychological effect that racism and race socialization has had on American citizens of African descent between the timespan of 1870 to 1970. To better recognize the psychology behind African American race socialization, the idea of racism has to be understood. Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess the same characteristics and abilities. Racism came about when the Caucasian race felt superior to other ethnic groups and began categorizing them by their combined racial and ethnic traits. The problem with the categorization is that race and ethnicity are not the same thing3. Racism uses ethnic traits and forces them onto a group of people as their â€Å"race†. Ethnicity is considered to be similar cultural factors like nationality, culture, ancestry and language. While race is comparable physical appearances like skin, eyes, hair and jawbone structure. Combining these two factors and using them against people who appear to be similar is exactly where racism stems4. Another strong belief is that racism plays on the weaknesses and self esteem of the targeted group. In Dr. Faye Belgrave’s book African American Psychology: From Africa to America, she discusses how racism and racial identity are directly influenced by the Western ideology of self-esteem. Dr. Belgrave concludes that racism, in regards to anyone of African descent, should not be defined by Western ideologies because they are not of Western descent. This is explained on page 11 of her book5. In understanding what self-esteem is from an African as well as a Western perspective, one must understand the difference between Western and African conceptions of the self. Using a Western definition, self-esteem can be defined as a feeling of liking and regard for one’s self. From an Africentric perspective, the personal self is indistinguishable from the self that is derived from membership in the African community (Nobles, 1991). Therefore, one’s affiliation to one’s group defines one’s view of self. The African proverb, â€Å"I am because we are and we are because I am,† characterizes this notion of the self. Thus, the self-esteem of people of African descent may be different from that of Whites, and it also may function differently for African Americans than for Whites. Dr. Belgrave continues her thoughts on self-esteem and the many other factors that contribute to racism in chapter 9 of her book. It is the belief of many that racism is a part of human nature. I, however, believe that to be untrue because it is well known that the terms â€Å"race† and â€Å"racism† are modern inventions originating from the 1500s. Racism has historically been used as a form of oppression to make a particular group feel inferior because of a difference in inherited characteristics. The Civil War6 abolished slavery and struck a great blow to racism. But racism itself wasn’t abolished. Just as racism was created to justify slavery in the colonies, racism as an ideology was modernized and since majority of blacks still remained in the South, this affected the entire race. It now no longer warranted the enslavement of blacks, but it justified second-class status for blacks as inferior individuals. Racism also remained one of the main ways that the upper class used to keep colored and white workers divided. After the Civil War, Southern legislatures commenced the business of determining the social status of freedmen. Some laws, known as the Black Codes7, granted to freedmen were legally recognized marriages, the right to own and sell property, and the ability to enter into business relationships. However, in most cases the black codes also prohibited African Americans from serving on juries, providing legal testimony and the right to an equal education. The codes also outlawed interracial marriage and created segregated public facilities. The codes prohibited younger African Americans from associating with any white peers. This meant that their so-called education was of a severely lesser quality. Historians believe that one of the main reasons why Southern legislatures shied away from granting educational opportunities for blacks wasn’t because of ambiguous racism but because historians saw the African factor†8 as the difference between success and failure. This suggested that the white’s racist view undermined any motivation for national unification through mass education. Well-known sociologist, W. E. B. Du Bois believed that the overall shortcomings of the black race fell entirely on the fact that blacks were not given the same opportunities as whites and it affected the psyches of each member of the targeted group. In an essay by Du Bois entitled â€Å"Race Intelligence†9 Du Bois discusses the psychological effect of racism on younger African Americans: Then came the psychology: the children of the public schools were studied and it was discovered that some colored children ranked lower than white children. This gave wide satisfaction even though it was pointed out that the average included most of both races and that considering the educational opportunities and social environment of the races the differences were measurements simply of the ignorance and poverty of the black childs surroundings. 10 Du Bois spent majority of his career observing the sociological factors surrounding African Americans and the hindrances in their paths. Du Bois’ works do not focus on making African Americans appear as victims but as something to learn and grow from. Du Bois believed racism had no place in this world. When the 1900s began and the Roosevelt Administration11 took over, race socialization was still being transmitted from older generations to younger. In 1903, Du Bois wrote a collection of essays entitled, The Souls of Black Folk12. In this book, Du Bois clearly states that the â€Å"problem of the twentieth century is the color line. † The color line was the segregation between blacks and whites and what many African Americans believed would be the biggest problem for their race. This however, was untrue. What African Americans at this time didn’t know was that their daily dose of racism and discrimination was only the surface of their problems. What wasn’t seen at the time was the aftermath of what this entire decade of racism would cause for the entire race. The psychological affect of racism and eventual race socialization every future generation would face would be equally if not worse then what had already been suffered. W. E. B. Du Bois believed that one of the race’s biggest struggles was constantly seeing themselves with such little respect and diminishing their self worth because of what the so-called ‘dominant’ race thought of them. This is also shown in Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk: â€Å"After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world, —a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, —an American, a Negro two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, — this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. † 13 Du Bois life mission was to make a name not only for himself but also for his race and his country. This is reflected in his diary when he wrote, â€Å"I therefore take the work that the Unknown lay in my hands and work for the rise of the Negro people, taking for granted that their best development means the best development of the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 14 Understanding racism in this way implores the strategy that we use to combat racism [socially] and the belief that racism has caused race socialization and directly influenced the slow progression, both academic and social, of African American people. Over the last 50 years, psychologists and sociologists alike have tried to study the effects of racism on ethnic groups, especially African Americans, and have been uninspiringly successful. I believe that Dr. Faye Belgrave has the answer why. In her book, African American Psychology: From Africa to America, she explains why: â€Å"Some of the methodological issues that were historically problematic in studying African Americans remain today. The best methods for studying African American populations may differ from the methods for studying other ethnic groups. For example, the experimental method is the favored method in psychology and has been considered the gold standard for con- ducting research. However, it may not always be the best way to arrive at an understanding of the psychology of African Americans. Other methods such as interviewing and observing may be more appropriate, depending on what is being studied. African psychology considers self-knowledge and intuition to be as important as source of knowing as observable data. Self-knowledge is derived from asking people about themselves not from observing them under experimental conditions. †15 Perhaps the reason why we’ve had such a hard time pinpointing the real root of racism and thus a ‘cure’ is because it isn’t being studied or treated properly. The concept of racism is treated like any other social problem, not the disease that it is. Racism has developed from its initial form of discrimination into an entire ideology [race socialization]. Antiracist education is crucial, but not enough. Because it treats racism only as a question of â€Å"bad notions† it does not speak to the core surface conditions that allow the acceptance of racism among large sections of the country. Entirely defeating the hold of racism on large sections of ethnic groups involves three circumstances: a larger group retaliation that ties together members of the ethnic group along the color line, attacking the circumstances (lesser pay, treatment, education, etc. ) that allow the attraction of racism to a so-called ‘superior’ ethnic group and the mindful involvement of antiracists to fight racism in all its forms and to win encouragement for interracial class unity.

A Mother Diagnosed With Cancer Psychology Essay

A Mother Diagnosed With Cancer Psychology Essay At that time, cancer for me and probably for anyone else was an unknown monster who spared no life when it hits you. There were endless nights full of hope for her recovery. At night before I would doze off to sleep I would look at her closely. She still had that same pretty face, beautiful eyes, lovely shaped lips and brilliant mind. But deep inside, it was too painful to see my ever energetic mother lying in bed with all the tubes in her body. Too hurtful to think that all we had shared, our plans might come to an endà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This is an adolescent daughters account of her journey with having a mother diagnosed with cancer. Dealing with maternal cancer can cause distress and anxiety because this illness is usually associated with poor prognosis, agonizing pain, negative effects of the treatment, and low survival rates. Cancer is considered by many as a silent killer, which unsuspectingly ravages the body from within. It can be a stressful experience, not only for the patients themselves, but also for the entire family. Every member of the family, especially the children, has to adjust to the emotional burden, physical demands, and lifestyle changes which cancer brings about. The occurrence of cancer has alarmingly increased throughout the years, affecting and claiming many lives around the world. It has been estimated that around 12.2 million people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide (American Cancer Society, 2007). It is also projected that the number of cancer cases and deaths will continue to escalate in the future. New cancer cases are estimated to increase from 11.3 million in 2007 to 15.5 million in 2030 (WHO, 2008). Based on the worldwide proliferation of cancer cases, this disease is now considered to be a major health problem. In the local scene, it is estimated that one in every 1,800 Filipinos will suffer from cancer every year (Philippines Breast Cancer, 2008). Based on the 2005 Cancer Facts and Estimates (cited in A Look at Cancer, 2007), approximately 39,929 men and 32,917 women were diagnosed with cancer that year. Consistent with the worldwide trend, the number of cancer patients in the Philippines is also expected to increase in the coming years. The most common cancer sites for both men and women are as follows: lung, breast, liver, cervix, and colon (A Look at Cancer, 2007). Young and middle-aged women are at great risk of developing cancer. According to Hamouy (2007), statistics show that females have one in three chances of getting cancer in their lifetime. This risk is also due to the drastic increase in the number of breast and cervical cancer cases, which are commonly and specifically associated with women. The breast is the most common cancer site among Filipinas. As of 2008, the Philippines had the highest reported cases of breast cancer in Asia, even surpassing other European countries (Philippines Breast Cancer, 2008). Cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequent type of cancer among Filipino women (World Health Organization, 2007). According to the Department of Health (cited in DOH Launches, 2008), approximately 10 Filipinas die from cervical cancer each day. Women diagnosed with cancer belong to various age groups. However, findings consistently show that cancer risk is positively correlated with age (Baum Andersen, 2001; A Look at Cancer, 2007). This puts older women at greater risk for developing this dreaded disease. In the past years, majority of cancer cases were diagnosed at 50 years old or at a postmenopausal age (Bobadilla, 2006). Unfortunately, there has been an increase in the occurrence of cancer among women in their midlife (Bobadilla, 2006) as well. Recently, the battle against cancer has started to affect younger women. A significant number of women who belong to this population are mothers. It is estimated that 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer has one or more dependent offspring still under her care (Faulkner Davey, 2002). The growing incidence of cancer among younger mothers means that more families are being challenged to cope with this disease. Mothers diagnosed with cancer are faced with various issues in the different facets of their lives. On a personal level, their concerns include experiencing the physical rigors of the disease and treatment, emotional issues, and preoccupation with existential matters. Aside from these, they also have additional sources of stress such as meeting the demands of being wives, mothers, and professionals in their respective fields. Being diagnosed with cancer at this stage in ones life can be stressful and in some cases, traumatic. This can be attributed to the pressure of having to fulfill different roles despite the physical and emotional demands of the disease. Mothers with cancer are forced to shift their role from taking care of their family to the one being cared for. In effect, although a maternal cancer diagnosis is experienced as a personal crisis, it also makes a great impact on the whole family system. These families are put in a predicament wherein they have to adapt with the changes and stresses brought about by maternal cancer. As the patients roles as a mother and spouse are disrupted, dealing with the illness becomes a shared crisis within the family. The husband and children are forced to adapt with the situation by handling the responsibilities which the mother could not perform, while dealing with their own emotional distress. The stressful nature of the situation puts other family members at risk for psychological distress, especially the children. In families dealing with maternal cancer, the adolescent daughters are expected to assume the responsibilities of the mother. In the Filipino culture, daughters are reared to help out in domestic chores and assist the mother with her duties (Liwag, Dela Cruz, Macapagal, 1998). Thus, when the mother is not well enough to carry out her responsibilities, adolescent daughters take over in caring for the family. This additional burden makes adolescent daughters the most vulnerable to experience psychological distress. Such circumstances subject the daughters to witness drastic physical and emotional changes in their mothers, disruption in their daily routines and changes in family roles. Aside from sharing the burden with their family, the daughters are also faced with the challenge of dealing with the developmental demands of being an adolescent. They may experience a variety of emotional responses, the most common of which are depression and anxiety, as a way to cope with their stress. Parents may fail to recognize the distress their daughters are experiencing due to preoccupation with the treatment and their own distress. In effect, the emotional issues harbored by the daughters may not be addressed appropriately. In the field of psychological research, a large body of studies had already been devoted to investigating the effects of cancer on the different aspects of a patients life. It has only been recently that researchers also recognized the need to shift their attention to the children of cancer patients. It is in this vein that the focus of this research will be centered on adolescent daughters whose mothers have cancer. This research will look into the psychological impact of maternal cancer on adolescent daughters, specifically in terms of emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. The mothers perceptions regarding how their daughters are dealing with situation will also be explored. It is also of interest to know how maternal cancer affects the relationship between the mother and adolescent daughter. Review of Literature Impact of Parental Cancer on the Family Cancer was found to be associated with psychological distress. Much of past research on cancer has focused mainly on the psychological impact of cancer on the patients themselves (Veach, 1998). Researchers have acknowledged that it is also necessary to look into the effect of cancer within the context of the family. Family Systems Theory The family is defined by Buckley (as cited in Papadopolous, 1995) as a system made up of sets of different parts which are interdependent and interconnected. A change in one part causes a change in the entire system. It is comprised of several subsystems which characterize the existing relationships within the family such as parental, marital, and sibling relationships (Faulkner Davey, 2002). According to the family systems theory, the condition of one family member influences the condition of other family members. It proposes that all the subsystems within the family interact and affect each other (Faulkner Davey, 2002; Papadopolous, 1995). The members of the family operate in a way that it maintains a balanced level of functioning, also known as equilibrium. The well-being of the family members and the familys functioning depend greatly on the interaction of the subsystems (Faulkner Davey, 2002). Due to the dynamic and interdependent nature of the family system, the roles and psychological functioning of individual members can affect the whole system. A role change initiated by one member will alter how the rest of the members play their roles. In this case, the whole system has to make corresponding changes in their behavior in order to compensate for the disruption in the roles among the members. This adjustment has to be made in order to regain the familys equilibrium (Jolley Mitchell, 1996). In the same way, a members psychological functioning is strongly influenced by ones interaction with the other members (Oster Caro, 1990). In families which are under a great deal of stress, the child is vulnerable to everything that is going on between the parents. The tension or conflict within a family can also induce distress within the child, whether the child is directly exposed to the stressor or not (Sokolova, n.d.). The Filipino Family The Philippine society is familial in nature (Jocano, 1995). Filipinos recognize that the family is the most basic institution in the society and is at the center of the affairs of the community. The high regard given to the family can be seen in the strong and pervasive influence this institution exerts towards individuals. According to Jocano (1995), the Filipino family is superordinate over the members. The life of each member is strongly influenced by the dynamics within the family. An individual must involve the family in decision-making and resolution of important issues. This is because the entire family is affected if something happens to its member, regardless of whether this occurrence is positive or negative. Thus, the Filipino family tends to be protective of its members, as a way to preserve not only the individual but the entire system as well. In order to uphold the traditional Filipino family system, cultural ideals which guide ones behavior are instilled in the individual. These ideals are learned through rearing practices and adherence to the societys norms. The following standards are honored and imbibed by traditional Filipino families: kapwa, damdamin, anddangal (Jocano, 1995, p.7). Kapwa refers to establishing interpersonal relationships which are based on equality and empathy. Damdamin on the other hand, deals with valuing others peoples emotions and striving in order not to hurts the feelings of others. Lastly, dangal, pertains to honoring and respecting others. Despite the changes in the society, in light of modernization, Jocano (1995) found that many Filipino parents continue to inculcate the following cultural ideals to their children: paggalang, which is giving respect to people and venerated customs; pagbabalikatan, which is empathizing and sharing the burden of others; pagbabayanihan, which is cooperating w ith one another; and pagmamalasakit, which is being considerate and concerned with other peoples welfare (Jocano, 1995, pp.7-8). The Filipino family is also described to be bilateral (Jocano, 1995). This refers to the establishment of close relationships with relatives from both the sides of the mother and father. An individuals level of affinity towards the maternal and paternal relatives are said to be equal. This bilateral characteristic of the family makes the relationships within the family system wider and more intertwined. In effect, the typical Filipinos concept of family is not only limited to the nuclear family structure, which is comprised of the parents and their children, but also includes the extended family which includes the relatives from both sides. By going beyond the immediate family, the individual can draw support and security from both the immediate and extended family. Jocano (1995) considers this close kinship among Filipinos as a significant source of strength. This provides an individual with an assurance that there will always be someone to count on when problems arise. The close ties among relatives and the ideals which families uphold influence the structure of Filipino households (Torres, 1995). It is typical for a nuclear family to share a roof with a few relatives and a nonrelative, which is usually the househelp. This is true, most especially for middle class urban families. In some cases, nuclear families who belong to the same clan reside in separate dwellings which are close in proximity. By maintaining geographical nearness, the extended family and its members are able to strengthen the support that they derive from each other. Carandang (1987) applied the family systems approach within the context of Filipino families. In line with Western theories on family systems, she suggested that any stress experienced by one member can be vicariously felt by the other members. Each of the family members responds to this stress by acting out in their own unique way. It has to be taken into consideration that the Filipino family is usually comprised of immediate family members, as well as extended relatives. There is also greater emphasis on maintaining close emotional bond among the family members. This nature of Filipino families makes it a more dynamic and complicated system. In effect, the children are challenged to gain recognition so as not to be lost within the larger system. This makes the children the most vulnerable members of the family because they can be easily affected by the stresses experienced by the family (Carandang, 1987). When the family is in the middle of a crisis, there is a tendency for the children not to directly articulate their feelings, especially if these are negative and are felt towards the adults in the family. In some cases, these stresses are manifested through the childrens behavior. Carandang (1987) found out that regardless of the socioeconomic status of the family, the children play the role of the familys protector. Being the protectors, the children absorb the familys stress and respond through their behaviors. In the Philippine setting, the familys tagasalo (Carandang, 1987, p. 47) or the one who takes care of the family is considered to be at risk for developing distress. Older siblings, most especially the daughters, are commonly expected to fulfill the role of being the familys tagasalo. Daughters are groomed at an early age to assist in tasks which are domestic and nurturant in nature, such as household chores and caretaking duties. By the time Filipino daughters reach adolescence, they are expected to become mother substitutes (Liwag, Dela Cruz, Macapagal, 1998, p.155). With this new role, adolescent daughters assume a considerable number of their mothers household responsibilities. The study of Go Tian (2003) supports Carandangs premise that daughters are more likely than sons to assume the role of the tagasalo. Based on her research among Filipino college students, females exhibited higher tagasalo traits than males. In contrast, Udarbes (2001) research proposed that the familys tagasalo is not necessarily related to the childs gender or birth order. Her findings suggest that the tagasalo generally possesses the following characteristics: strong sense of responsibility, good listener, nurturant, peacemaker and a strong need for control. Traditionally, women are considered to be central to the functioning of the family. This is due to gender role socialization, which dictates that women are expected and trained to take care of household matters (Liwag, Dela Cruz, Macapagal, 1998). As the major female figure in the family, the mothers main role is to handle domestic responsibilities at home. Thus, when a mother is diagnosed with cancer, the family adapts to the situation by assuming the responsibilities which the mother could not handle. This burden is often passed on to the adolescent daughter, who had been trained since childhood to carry out domestic chores. The impact of cancer within the Filipino family was evident in a local study done by Gorospe (2002). A cancer diagnosis affects the different aspects of a patients life, as well as the rest of the family members. The debilitating effect of cancer on the patient can cause a disruption in routine, changes in lifestyle, and limitations in performing ones responsibilities. Thus, the patient and his family are confronted with overwhelming changes which they have to adjust to. As a reaction to these changes, the entire family undergoes a process of emotional distress characterized by disbelief, denial, and initial resistance to the diagnosis. The roles within the family also have to be re-assigned in order to compensate for the changes related to the patients inability to fulfill ones role. Family Changes Brought About by Parental Cancer A mothers diagnosis of cancer is not an individual struggle. The entire family is subjected to the repercussions of dealing with maternal cancer. According to Robinson, Caroll, and Watson (2005), cancer within the family can be considered as an emotional crucible. This is the shared experience in which the family goes through a series of emotional adjustments. Such experience has been described as both draining and empowering, not only for the cancer patient but for all the family members. The profound stress brought about by the illness affects the relationships and interactions within the family. As a response, the family members reactions are manifested through their behavior and emotions (Sargent, 2003). Parents diagnosed with cancer reported that due to the illness, they were unable to spend time with and address the needs of their children (Walsh, Manuel, Avis, 2005). This was supported by the study of Faulkner and Davey (2002) which revealed that parental cancer can lead to impaired parenting. The demands of the illness made both the healthy and ill parents less available to their children, emotionally and physically. There were also cases of less communication, decrease in supervision, and lack of consistency in discipline and nurturance. Such disruption in the family system undeniably exposes the children to many psychological stressors such as: threat of permanent loss of parent to death, temporary loss of parent due to the treatment demands, and changes in family roles and routines (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003). This may result in adjustment difficulties and psychological consequences, thus, making the children vulnerable to the impact of having a parent with cancer. Cancer blurs the roles in the family. The study of Walsh, Manuel, and Avis (2005), which investigated the impact of maternal breast cancer on the family, revealed that because the mothers were not well enough to perform their usual responsibilities at home, they had to transfer some of their family duties to their spouses and children. Generally, adolescents in the family had to take on more responsibilities at home, such as household chores and caregiving tasks for their younger siblings and the ill parent (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003; Davey, Gulish, Askew, Godette, Childs, 2005; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007; Visser, Huizinga, Van der Graaf, Hoekstra, Hoekstra-Weebers, 2003). Aside from dealing with worry over the ill parents condition, the adolescent children in the family felt that their lives were complicated due to the additional responsibilities they had to carry out in order to augment the deficiencies caused by maternal cancer (Davey, Gulish, Askew, Godette, Childs, 2005). Psychological Adjustment Among Adolescents of Cancer Patients The psychological effects of maternal cancer on children are widely investigated. The qualitative study of Forrest, Plumb, Ziebland, and Stein (2006) reported that children already suspected that something was wrong even before they were told about their mothers diagnosis. They based this suspicion on the mood and behavior changes in their mother. Upon knowing about the maternal cancer diagnosis, the adolescents experienced emotional distress. The initial emotional responses were shock and disbelief, followed by devastation and intense feelings of sadness (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003; Davey, Gulish, Askew, Godette, Childs, 2005). Compas, Worsham, Ey, and Howell (1996) assessed the emotional distress experienced by children of cancer patients by looking into their depression and anxiety. Their distress arose from their considerable worry about their mothers health and fear of losing their mother from cancer (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003; Davey, Gulish, et al., 2005; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007; Kristjanson, Chalmers, Woodgate, 2004; Walsh et al., 2005). In some studies, adolescents were also concerned with the possibility of potentially inheriting the cancer (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003; Walsh et al., 2005). The adolescents emotional difficulties partly stemmed from feeling powerless over their parents illness. The adolescents felt that they did not have control over the outcome of the diagnosis and treatment, which in turn also affected the moods and accessibility of both parents (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003). Another cause of the adolescents distress was witnessing their parents pain. Some of the adolescents reported that they were bothered by the side effects of chemotherapy (Forrest et al., 2006). They had to adapt to seeing their usually healthy parent slowly become weak and ill (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003). The positive effect this had on the children was that they became more empathic towards their ill parent. They were also more tolerant and understanding of both their parents, who exhibited increased irritability and moodiness (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003). This was consistent with the findings of Kristjanson et al. (2004) which revealed that the adolescents were sensitive to the suffering of their ill mother. The teenagers expressed that they felt guilty because their own lives were normal, whereas their mother was enduring the painful physical and psychological consequences of cancer. They were able to empathize with their mothers suffering but they expressed guilt about their own situation. A local research done by Tantoco (1992) examined the issues confronted by terminally ill mothers and their eldest offspring. Results revealed that the eldest children exhibited considerable anxiety during the process of dealing with their mothers illness. Many of the participants described their journey as an emotional roller coaster ride (Tantoco, 1992, p.73). This experience compelled them to prioritize their mothers condition. This forced them to put other aspects of their lives, such as studies, work, and heterosexual relationships aside. Given that the eldest children focused much of their attention on their ill mother, they became sensitive to their mothers physical, emotional, and mental anguish. The children shared that they had difficulties in dealing with their ill mothers emotional outbursts. Despite this, the eldest in the family also felt the need to give emotional support, security, and assurance to their ill mother. Another source of the eldest childrens stress was the ir informal role of being next to their parents in terms of responsibility and authority. Being the eldest, they had to take on additional household responsibilities, including caring of their ill mother and younger siblings. These extra tasks required them to make personal sacrifices such as not being able to engage in their usual adolescent activities. Aside from emotional problems, behavioral changes were also observed among children of cancer patients. Increased crying, clinging, difficulty in sleeping, and changes in the intensity of talking were some of the behaviors which children engaged in after their parent was diagnosed with cancer (Visser et al., 2003). There are inconsistent findings in terms of the childrens school performance. Some adolescents showed a decline in their academics and attendance (Visser et al., 2003; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007. This was due to their inability to concentrate during school hours because of their preoccupation with their parents illness and the disruptions in their routine (Visser et al., 2003; Forrest et al., 2006). However, some adolescents actually performed better in school even though they were dealing with parental cancer (Visser et al., 2003). Positive behavioral changes also surfaced as the adolescents were dealing with their mothers cancer. The adolescents expressed that they appreciated their mother more even when the diagnosis and treatment were over. They showed this newfound appreciation by constantly checking on how the ill mother is doing, wanting to be physically close, paying more than usual attention to mothers needs, and wanting to offer support (Visser et al., 2003; Davey, Gulish et al., 2005). Some adolescents also reported that they took over their mothers role even if it meant an increase in their responsibilities. This contributed to their perception that they were older than their years, after having gone through that experience (Davey, Gulish et al., 2005). Daughters whose mothers have cancer also became more involved with the medical aspects of the treatment. Even though they were less convinced that things will work out, they took more initiative in handling the medical concerns of their mother (Gilbar Borovik, 1998). According to Grabiak, Bender, and Puskar (2007), the behavioral adjustment of adolescents rely heavily on the emotional condition of both parents and on the family functioning. When both parents display symptoms of depression, adolescents tended to show increased behavioral problems. Between the two parents, maternal depression exerts a stronger influence on the childs behavioral functioning. It was also found that adolescents who experienced difficulty with behavioral adjustment perceived their families as having poor quality of communication, responsiveness, and involvement. In the aspect of social functioning, the study of Osborn (2007) found no evidence to suggest that social competence is negatively affected among children of cancer patients. In a few studies, adolescents of cancer patients even reported handling their social lives more effectively than those from the norm groups (Osborn, 2007). This favorable social functioning may be attributed to the strong social support which the adolescents actively seek and maintain. Common sources of social support were family, friends, school counselors, teachers, and support groups (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007; Huizinga, Van der Graaf et al., 2005). Adolescents felt that their peers were positive sources of support with whom they could talk openly about their feelings and fears. However, some teenagers expressed that their friends had difficulty empathizing with their situation. They felt that their friends could not really understand what it is like to have a mother diagnosed with cancer. This feeling further highlights the sense of isolation which the adolescents sometimes feel. They felt more consoled when they talked to peers who were also experiencing the same adversity (Huizinga, Van der Graaf et al., 2005). Similarly, Filipina adolescents place importance on having strong social ties. Being more emotionally involved in relationships and having higher levels of interpersonal needs, warmth, and sensitivity are important factors which contribute to the finding that female adolescents are less lonely than their male counterparts. Their need for interaction actually reduces the feelings of loneliness because Filipina adolescents have a richer source of social and emotional support (Jimenez, 2009). Adolescents of Cancer Patients in Comparison With Control Groups Several studies compared the psychological functioning of adolescents whose parents have cancer vis-a-vis a control group. Inconsistent findings were found. A number of studies reveal that adolescents of cancer patients and the control group did not significantly differ in terms of emotional, behavioral, and social functioning (Brown et al., 2006; Harris Zakowski, 2003; Hoke, 2001; Huzinga, Van der Graaf, Visser, Djikstra, Hoekstra-Weebers, 2005; Osborn, 2007; Visser, et al., 2007). The similarity in the levels of psychological distress between adolescents of cancer patients and the control group can be attributed to the childrens efforts to mask their true feelings. They were aware that their parents were already under a great deal of stress. The adolescents showed that they were not affected by the situation so that their parents would not worry about them. This was their way of protecting their parents from additional stress (Visser et al., 2007). Although no significant differences were found in terms of psychological distress, a percentage of the adolescents of cancer patients exhibited scores within the clinical range. In the study of Houck, Rodrigue, and Lobato (2006), one-third of the adolescents whose parents have cancer reported clinical levels of posttraumatic stress in response to their parents illness. In addition, approximately 25% to 30% of the adolescents in both the studies of Visser et al. (2007) and Huizinga, Van der Graaf et al. (2005) reported clinically elevated scores in internalizing and externalizing problems. Internalizing problems refer to turning ones emotions inward. This is manifested through withdrawal, somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression. On the other hand, externalizing problems are more noticeable ways of dealing with stress because they are reflected through ones behavior. This can be in the form of socially unacceptable, delinquent, and aggressive behavior (Visser et al., 2005). Consisten t with the abovementioned, Osborn (2007) proposed that adolescents of cancer patients generally did not experience higher levels of psychological distress compared to reference groups. However, they were slightly at increased risk for internalizing problems. Some studies found that adolescents of cancer patients are more emotionally distressed than those from the control sample. The research of Grabiak et al. (2007) revealed that adolescents whose parents have cancer displayed a significantly higher level of anxiety compared to the age-normed sample. Visser et al. (2003) supported this claim as their study found that when compared to a control group, adolescents dealing with parental cancer exhibited significantly higher stress-response symptoms, which included avoidance and intrusive thoughts. In another study, adolescents of cancer patients also displayed significantly higher levels of perceived risk for developing cancer than adolescents who have healthy parents (Harris Zakowski, 2003). Despite this, it is interesting to note that these two groups did not differ in depression and anxiety. Hoke (2001) found that adolescents coping with maternal cancer did better in their social and academic endeavors when their mother was more distres sed. This is in comparison with adolescents in the control group who did less well when their mother was more distressed. The results also varied depending on the t

Living Together before Marriage Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Coha

Living Together Before Marriage There are many advantages and disadvantages in living together before marriage. Today there are many couples living together before marriage. Sometimes these kinds of relationships 'living together before marriage' end up with success and sometimes they are unsuccessful. Some of the advantages of living together before marriage are such as getting to know your partner, learning about one's abilities if he/she can satisfy your expectations and more. Also, there are some disadvantages in living together before marriage and they are such as religious and family values, parenting problems and more. I think there are more advantages then disadvantages in living together before marriage, because sometimes disadvantages in this kind of relationship are avoidable. One of the advantages of living together before marriage is getting to know a person that you might marry with. It is important for a person to know almost everything about the other person that he/she is going to get marry with. However, it can?t be accomplish without living together for a while before getting married. People need to know how a person is handling his/her life from all aspects such as behavior, mental, financial and others before a person decides to get married with. This can not be completed in a few days, therefore, it is important to live together for a while before deciding weather to get married or now. Also, learning about a person?s abilities to satisfy yo...

Value Added Tax :: Economy, Government

Value Added Tax or VAT as it is called is the most common alternative strategy implemented by many countries to deal with inefficiencies within the tax system. VAT provides an opportunity to modernize the indirect tax system, to make it more efficient, appropriate and simpler. Value added tax (VAT), is a final consumption tax levied on value added or mark up on a good or service, at each and every stage of the production and distribution chain. Value Added is the value that a business adds to its raw materials or purchases before selling the good/service. It is the mark up on that cost price. Vat is a modern tax. It was first introduced in France in 1948. Currently it is implemented in over 100 countries around the world including the Caribbean. In 1948, France implemented it at the manufacturing level only. In 1967, Brazil implemented it at all levels and by the 1970/80s, VAT was implemented in 63 countries. According to information gathered from the VAT implementation office, in the Caribbean, VAT is currently in operation in: Haiti(1982), Dominican Republic(1983), Trinidad and Tobago(1990), Jamaica(1991), Barbados(1997), Belize(2006), Dominica(2006), Guyana(2007), Antigua and Barbuda(2007) and St. Vincent(2007). VAT is currently being introduced/considered in St. Lucia and St. Kitts. It is being re-introduced in Grenada. Discussions on a VAT system, in St. Lucia, started as far back as 2003, from the recommendations of the Tax Reform and Administration Commission of the ECCU, as a strategy to manage the various indirect taxes. This was followed in the 2007 budget address by the late Sir John Compton where he indicated the intention to introduce a Value Added Tax system in St. Lucia. According to information gathered from the VAT Implementation Project office: VAT will not be an additional Tax. VAT is a replacement tax for some of the indirect taxes, currently being collected by the Inland Revenue Department and the Customs and Excise Department. Thus, VAT will not change the direct taxation system. It will, however, replace or reduce a number of indirect taxes. Since VAT and Consumption Tax cannot operate together, VAT will replace Consumption Tax. In order to charge VAT, a business must meet a Threshold. The threshold will be the minimum annual sales amount ($) for a business. These businesses must register with the VAT Office. Under VAT, registered businesses are called taxpayers. With VAT, business entities are categorized into two groups; registered businesses and unregistered businesses. Registered businesses includes individuals, partnership, companies or other entities who supply goods and services in the courses of business- they pay VAT on purchases charge VAT on sales and can claim input tax credit.

A Comparison of My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover Essays -- Robert

"My Last Duchess" is a poem about an arrogant and extremely powerful Duke who is describing his deceased Duchess. From the word "last" in the title it is implied that the duke has had more than one duchess. In this poem, the Duke is extremely egotistic. He says, "I choose never to stoop." The duchess would look at everyone in the world as being equal no matter what class they are. The duke however cannot do this. He is too worried about his appearance. "Porphyria's Lover" is a poem in which a man describes an evening in which his lover, Porphyria, visits him and he unexpectedly murders her. In this it is unlike "My Last Duchess" because Porphyria 'worships' her lover unlike the Duke From the title "My Last Duchess", we immediately learn that this is a personal poem to the duke. It is a love and murder poem. It is a dramatic monologue and is written as a single stanza. Both poems also have a silent listener. In 'My Last Duchess' the silent listener is the Ambassador for the Count, who is the father of the Duke's next bride whereas in 'Porphyria's Lover' the silent listener could be a number of people it could be a police officer, or he could just be telling the story to a friend. There is no evidence in the poem, which tells the reader who he is talking to. The tone in these poems is important as it acts as a contrast to the content of the poem. In "My Last Duchess", Browning uses a soft tone and describes the Duke having the Duchess killed subtly, " This grew; I gave commands;/ Then all smiles stopped together." Browning describes this without changing the tone. However in "Porphyria's Lover" the tone is normal and soft throughout the poem until the point in which the Lover murders Porphyria, "I... ...both of the characters kill their lovers. "She was mine, mine, fair,/ Perfectly pure and good". This is what the lover said before he killed Porphyria. He kills her because at that precise moment in time he has complete power and control over Porphyria and wants to preserve this. Browning uses a simile extremely effectively in "Porphyria's Lover" to describe the body of Porphyria. He says "As a shut bud that holds a bee". This gives the reader the image that her soul is still alive but her body is dead. The bud is shut and the bee is still alive inside of it. Overall, I found these poems both quite enjoyable to read. I enjoyed "My Last Duchess" less than I enjoyed "Porphyria's Lover". This is because the murder in "Porphyria's Lover" was so unexpected and a shock whereas in "My Last Duchess", it was written more subtly giving it less excitement.

Coors Case

Using the Consumer Questionnaire Results, 62. 1% of consumers surveyed has consumed Coors in the past; also 48. 8% liked or strongly liked Coors. We also learned in this questionnaire that 65. 2% bought their beer from supermarkets. From this consumer analysis, Larry could invest in Coors and make his main availability of product at supermarkets. According to the Retailer Questionnaire Results, Coors has the same taste as Miller and Miller Lite, but it is more expensive than the other brands of beer sold. B. Market Share: Using the Table C: The Market Share estimates for a five year span all stay at a constant 8. 7-8. 9%, with consideration there are only a select few brands that Coors is competing with this should not be a problem with growth in the future. C. Investment: Total investment would include the inventory, equipment, warehouse, and land is estimated at $800,000. Larry could also use his trust fund if needed, $500,000 to start an Owner’s Equity Account. D. Cost: (Fixed, Variable, Prices): Fixed Cost for Larry’s new adventure would be $240,000 that includes salaries, equipment depreciation, warehouse depreciation, utilities / telephone, insurance, maintenance / janitorial and miscellaneous expenses. Variable cost would depend on the production level. As for Prices, it is perceived that Coors is high priced but if they were to lower the price to the price of Michelob, there could be an increase of sales. E. Go or No Go: I would have to say Larry should go for Coors Distributorship.